Health Crisis #2 Summertime 2012

We have done the zoo often this summer. This trip tops them all.

 

We were planning to pick up my Mom and brothers on the way to meet friends at the zoo. When I went to start the car I found out that our battery was dead. We weren't going anywhere in that van. Luckily my parents have a battery charger for cars, so my mom was able to bring it over and we plugged my van in for the day. We rode down with my mom and arrived late but fine. While unloading the stroller and bags, Kesler suddenly started crying hysterically. We saw that he had been trying to climb into the trunk of the van and had touched his leg on the exhaust pipe. We couldn't tell how bad it was, but I guessed that it had been on there for a few seconds before he realized he needed to pull it off.

 

First aid-wise we were pretty unprepared for a burn and the zoo is 40 minutes from home. We carried him crying into the zoo in hopes that they would have a first aid station. Of course they didn't have anything useful. No kids or baby Tylenol (even in the gift shop), no aloe vera, no ice pack, just ice from the concession stand. Poor Kesler wouldn't let anyone get near his leg and there was a purple line forming on his shin.

 

Thankfully we did meet up with our friends who were able to take Easton and my brothers with them to see the zoo. My mom and I were able to attend to Kesler. We forced him to put ice on it and the zoo employees tried to track down an EMT. My mom located some baby Tylenol from another Mom and we got that down him.

 

I felt so bad for him and just was praying that it wasn't too serious. When the EMT finally hiked in from the back of the zoo, I wasn't impressed with him. He found some burn gel that had pain reliever in it which helped almost instantly, but then he didn't even offer to bandage it up. I realized it would be helpful to leave it open to the air, but that gel wouldn't have lasted two minutes on his leg without a bandage.

 

 

 

The women who helped us gave him a polar bear and he calmed down as the medicines started working. Poor guy was so sad!

 

 

Mom and I took him to see a few animals while we waited for everyone else. He perked up a little and then we headed home. We stopped at the drug store to find more burn cream and gauze as well. I wish we had taken him in to see a doctor, but I didn't realize how bad the burn was at the time. Looking back on it, it was definitely a third degree burn. It took a long time to heal and he'll have a scar for a long time too. Poor Kesler.

Mustang Car Show

In June I found out about a Mustang Car Show down at the Overland Park Bass Pro Shop. Soren has ALWAYS been in love with Mustangs and even helped his Dad restore one in high school. Recently his passion for them has been rekindled and he was thrilled to go down to the show. Easton joined in the enthusiasm, especially once he saw all of the blue ones.

 

Every blue Mustang was his favorite.

 

 

 

While Soren looked around and chatted with the other Mustang enthusiasts and owners, the kids and I went into Bass Pro. They loved seeing the fish and all of the animals. We took turns climbing in all of the fishing and barge boats too. Little boy heaven. We bought matching trucker hats in all of our favorite colors. Easton and Kesler got blue and navy, I got green and we got Soren red.

 

There were so many different years and colors of Mustangs. I enjoyed looking at all of them too. Soren showed us all of his favorites and then we grabbed some overpriced and overcooked hot dogs for lunch. It was a great, successful family outing!

Summer Boys

Summer with two little boys has been a blast. We bought a pool this summer. It is about 12 inches deep and 4 feet in diameter which is perfect for two little boys to cool off in. The problem I didn't foresee was the fights over the hose.

 

 

We have also been to my Mom's pool quite often. I love the we have little pool traditions. After they get done swimming we dry off by laying on a pool chair and eating animal crackers.

 

We are still loving summer lounging in the hammock. I am in awe of how relaxing it is, especially if I can get in alone- which almost never happens. But it is pretty nice to lay with my little guys too.

 

 

Kesler is starting to become a little boy. He and Easton can carry on a conversation and play together. I walked into the living room to hear Easton saying to Kesler, "I wuv you Kesler. Let me help you Kesler." Melt my heart.

Super Boys

Super Why! is the 'it' show around our house right now. At least Easton loves it; Kesler not so much. Easton really wanted his own superhero cape and mask so we undertook the project. They turned out so cute and didn't take too much work. I'm thinking these might double as Halloween costumes.....

Like Father, Like Son

With all of the house projects and business schemes I have going on around here, we visit Lowes or 'the wood store' quite often. Soren has gotten a garage full of tools off of our business and it seems like we always need another one for some 'business purpose'.

I love that the boys all enjoy going. I had to laugh when I snapped these two shots. Are they related or what?

Kesler is too young to appreciate a hammer or drill bit, but he can appreciate some chocolate with me.

Summer Playgroup

I am in charge of planning playgroup for our local group and mostly for my kids' sanity we kept planning things all summer. We were often the only attendees, but it gave us fun things to do and that is all that counts to me. At the beginning of summer we took advantage of the Kids Bowl Free program. We had a great turn out and Easton got to bowl for the first time. How cute are his tiny shoes? He had a great time although all the kids were pretty distracted by the end of one game.

We also did a lot of park playgroups before the weather turned too hot. Penguin park is a favorite.

Rocks

The lot across from our house is an empty one and has a great rock pile left over from building another house. The boys love to climb on it which is good and bad. Easton is old enough now to do great on his own with limited supervision. Kesler on the other hand needs A LOT of help and still tried to keep up with Easton. Soren usually gets the job of supervising. This time we got smart and put helmets on everyone.

Zoo Time

We have a zoo pass this year and have been trying to make the most of it. I think we have been 5 or 6 times already. We can get my mom and brothers in if we go without Soren so they have come with us a few times. Its so nice to have the extra help and the company. On this trip we happened to go on the day that only Africa was open. It worked out great for us because we only see that part of the zoo in one trip anyways, and the lift and boat rides were free to compensate for the rest of the zoo being closed.

Easton rode the lift with me which carries you over the African enclosures and then back. I was pretty terrified the whole time and held on to him TIGHT. We made it back fine and it really was neat to see the animals from above.

Health Crisis #1 Summer 2012

We have had a summer full of ridiculous health surprises. The first one was my first real kid injury scare and my first trip to Urgent Care.

 Kesler loves to climb things and do everything Easton can do. He is fearless and usually totally unaware of any danger he might be in. He gets hurt quite often and always learns the hard way how to do something. This incident was no different. I was in the kitchen while the boys played in their room. Suddenly I heard a thud and then the crying that followed. I found Kesler laying on a pile of toys under the window seat in Easton's room. From what I could tell he had fallen backwards from the window seat about 2 feet onto a pile of hard toys. Normally he would cry for a while and then get over it. This time he cried and cried and cried. For over 45 minutes until I put him down for a nap. He was also kind of wheezing. I put him down after seeing that he wasn't disoriented and his eyes looked okay.

The scary part was when he woke up two hours later and commenced the inconsolable sobbing and the wheezing. So at that point I got nervous enough to call the doctor. They sent me to Urgent Care to have him looked at. We got all ready and my Mom came over to go with us. Of course as soon as she arrived Kesler stopped fussing. But he was still wheezing like he couldn't quite catch his breath.

To be safe I still took him in and he was happy as could be by the time we FINALLY saw the doctor. She said things looked fine and that the wheezing wasn't any kind of injury. His lungs sounded great to her.

So we packed up and went home. I was a little frustrated that something wasn't wrong, especially after the $400 bill, but really I was grateful he was okay and the peace of knowing that was worth whatever the cost.

Swimmin'

Well summer has gotten the best of us. We've been so busy doing fun things, I haven't kept up recording them!

One of the perks of living close to my parents is using their pool. Easton has become a little swimmer wanna-be (not quite there, but getting there). Easton loves to swim underwater in the baby pool and can get himself around the edge of the shallow end without assistance. His most recent feat is jumping into the pool and going all the way down to the bottom before coming up for help. He is so good at keeping the water out of his nose! He didn't get that from me.

Kesler loves the pool as well. He enjoys swimming with Grandma and Grandpa or Mom or Dad- anything without a floatation device. He isn't into a life jacket or going underwater much yet.

Our first family swim of the year.

The new spray park addition to the pool area is wonderful. It makes it so much easier to watch two little ones at the pool when I can keep at least one of them out of the water.

Papa Murphy's Cowboy pizza is the perfect way to end an evening of swimming.