Of Snoopy Slings and Purple Casts

Okay, so I really need to catch up here. I really want to catch up. But first I am just going to jump right into what is going on now at my house and the biggest event I can come up with for the week is that Fionnula broke her wrist. Well, is it really a 'break' if what you actually did was bend your bones and not really snap them in two? Whatever, it is the first cast any of my children has ever had (just cause they don't cast toes and noses).

It started out like this; I was having a leisurely Sunday afternoon phone conversation with my mother when I hear a screaming child coming my way. I mean, really screaming, Fionn is a screamer anyway, but this scream sounded a little more serious than the usual 'my brother won't let me have his toy that I want' scream. So I hung up on Mom (well, I didn't just hang up--I mean I told her I was going and all),I listen to the story about how she was on the trampoline and first her arm 'was like this and then it was like this!' (There were actions to go along with the story, but truthfully they didn't add much and I still don't know precisely what happened to her arm, just that she was jumping on the trampoline and landed on it).

I looked at the arm, there was no bruising or serious swelling; I did the requisite 'can you move it like this and like this,' she could. So I took her downstairs, sat her on the couch with an ice pack and a movie and hoped it would get better by tomorrow. I even threatened her by asking in my most concerned parent voice; "Do you think it is so bad that you need to go to the doctor?" This always works on all my other kids, they always feel a lot better after I ask this question. I know, it is not a good mom sort of thing to do, but sometimes I am not a good mom. But whatever, because it didn't work with Fionn, she said immediately that yes she thought she needed to see a doctor, either because that sounded like fun or because it really hurt that bad. Both, as it turned out.

Later that evening I had a meeting to go to and left her with her big sisters. I came home to find them comforting her after she had bumped it in the bathroom. But she slept well that night and I was feeling optimistic until the next morning she got a little jostled and the screaming started again. So I called the doctor and I called the insurance and I bundled her into the car. There were no more tears now, she was completely psyched. This was going to be an adventure.

In the waiting room at urgent care she was thrilled to see they had a TV, and piles of magazines. And she wondered at every person she saw how they had hurt their arms, because obviously this was a place you went to when you hurt your arm. We looked at magazines, toured the waiting room, and finally they timidly called out her name. We get great renditions of Fionn's name when people first see it.

So, she loved getting her blood pressure taken loved the little red light they put on her finger to check oxygen levels (that is what it does isn't it?), declared that getting her temp checked tickled and practically skipped over to be weighed. She had not had this much fun in a long time. They showed us to a little room where she got to sit on a big old hospital bed. Oh we were having so much fun! We saw a nurse who basically told us they would need x rays and we waited a long time, Fionn singing 'The Ants go Marching' and 'The Tree in The Woods.' She makes up her own words to 'The Tree in The Woods' and she loves the format where she says it and then I have to repeat what she says. Such a sense of power! A very noncommunative tech came and led us to x-ray, snapped a few pictures of her arm, sent us to another room to wait and then back to our original room to wait some more. We sang more songs. We played I Spy. We tried to use a cell phone in a big medical building with iffy cell coverage. The Doctor came in to pronounce the verdict--buckle fracture-- they would splint it and she could go see another doctor who could decide about the cast. We waited some more. Another tech came in and measured Fionn's arm. We waited. She came back and put on the splint--a process which Fionn can describe in detail if you ask her. And found her a snoopy sling. The whole thing was just fascinating to Fionn.




Later that day I heard her detailing the whole story to Liam in the back seat of the car. "And she called me pumpkin!" Fionn says incredulously.

"Pumpkin!?" laughed Liam.

So I explained that calling someone 'pumpkin' was like calling them 'cutie.'

"So 'pumpkin' means 'cute?' Asked Fionn, sounding a little doubtful.

"Yes... sort of," I said.

Liam and Fionn, pondering the oddities of their native tongue; "Hmmmm..."

So we suffered through the splint and sling for three and a half days and then went to the orthopedic surgeon who wrapped her all up in a purple cast and told us to come back in 3 weeks for more x-rays and, hopefully, cast removal.



So far, Fionn is still mostly having fun. She loves it when people ask what happened. And it is especially fun to correct those who say she broke her arm; "Actually, it's my wrist.' After about twelve hours of not holding a crayon or pencil, she started to learn to use her left hand, because she just couldn't take it anymore. She challenges her brothers to hit the cast and then announces 'See! It hurts you and not me because it is hard!" But sometimes at night when she can't get comfortable, or when it starts itching, she just wants the cast off now and it isn't quite so much fun for anyone.

Fun Runs and Treasure Hunts

Halloween for us this year began with the Creepy Crawl race out at Palmer Lake. Bayley paid the entrance fee and ran in the 5K and got the cool t-shirt.

The shirt Bayley is wearing in this picture is actually from The Great Pumpkin Run earlier in the month, not the run she is actually running in, but it is conveniently Halloweenish anyway. Can you see the pumpkin design?

After the official 5K race they had a 1 mile race around the lake for kids under 12 and their running companions--so each of our younger kids ran with a big brother or sister.

Here is Noah at the finish line. I believe he was the second runner to finish.

And Ronan already in costume.


And Liam. Who was reluctant at first to run, but then loved it.

And finally Fionn, who fell only moments before this at the last turn, but was determined to finish.

Then everyone who wasn't already in costume got dressed up and we had the now traditional Halloween treasure hunt (right after the equally traditional photo shoot).

A fairy princess. Honestly, it is not too unusual for Fionn to be dressed like this.

Han Solo.

Robin Hood.

Sid. (from Toy Story) I painted that skull on the t-shirt the night before. Pretty good, huh?

Deb. (from Napoleon Dynamite)

Edmund? Peter? A generic knight? It is a versatile costume. And, for those of you who are wondering, yes, the sword is just a lame prop and behind that shield it actually has no hilt, but is, in fact, just a blade.

Well, Erin is a pirate, but Bayley is mostly someone who never came up with a costume idea but had run in a run that morning and acquired a conveniently colored t-shirt.

Kegan is obviously a demi-god (the question being which of his parents is the god), I have no idea what Rhys is. Cool glasses though, huh?

Yellowstone!

This post is an experiment. I want to know what happens when I finish a post that I started months ago and left as an unpublished draft. Will it be posted with today's date attached (it is actually January already!) or with the date it was originally attached to? Because if it is the latter, then that opens a whole new world of possibilities to a procrastinating blogger such as myself.

In July we went to Yellowstone. Yellowstone was one of the destinations on our list of places to visit with the whole family before our children start moving out on us. We haven't finished the list yet, which is why Erin and Bayley can't move out yet. We actually tried to go last summer. But when you call the West Yellowstone KOA in May and say you want to stay there in July, they politely chuckle at you and then suggest that you call around October and schedule something for next July. Which is what we did. And which is why we didn't even think of cancelling our plans when Kris broke his leg two weeks before our scheduled departure. One thing I might do differently if we were to return though, the KOA is not really all that close to the park, so I think I would try to get a place to stay that is actually in Yellowstone. You might have to call earlier than October. And, there is the bear factor too, it turns out there are bears in Yellowstone, and apparently they occasionally they eat park visitors, so one of the cool lodges would definitely be my preference. No tents.

But, what I am really trying to get to is the pictures. This was our first major trip in which multiple people carried cameras. And cell phones. So there are literally hundreds of photos.

Seminary Graduation

Erin and Bayley graduated from seminary last night. That's four years down and only fourteen more of getting kids to seminary everyday at 6 am. It is my penance for never having graduated myself. Except I have to admit that Kris does most of the driving to, I usually wake up just enough to kiss them each goodbye and take my occasional turn driving early when Kris is out of town. Instead, I take my turn driving when it is our turn in our little two-family carpool to pick up after seminary.

I should probably mention too that Erin and Bayley are officially high school graduates now also, I finished up their transcripts just last week by filling in their grades for their last semester of twelfth grade, which also happens to be their third semester at the community college, and gave them a high school graduation date. It was really just a silly and, probably, unnecessary formality since to us they left high school behind a year ago and have been full time college students for the past year. I know this is a confusing point to some of my family and friends with the way that high school just drifted into college with no 'graduation' in between. But, in a year they should be done at the community college and we will try to be more formal then and really celebrate a graduation.

In somewhat related news, Kegan and Rhys took the accuplacer (the test community colleges administer to determine college placement) and both placed into the college level in both the math and English portions of the test (that is all there is by the way-a math portion and an English portion). This means that in the fall they will both be part time students at the community college also. More blurring of the lines between high school and college, I know.

The Short Happy Life of a Kenmore Elite

So, Dave the repair guy was over today. Remember him from the oven cleaning fiasco awhile back? Dave is actually a fairly frequent visitor at our house. In the past 18 months or so he has repaired nearly every major appliance in our house; the dishwasher, the oven, the dryer, and today he was over to have a look at the washing machine. Well, Dave says the washer is a lost cause and we need a new washing machine. Something about the pump being about to spill a lot more water on my floor than it has already been putting out and, apparently even worse, everything that is holding up and turning the tub is also ready to give out and die. In fact, he looked more than a little stressed when I revealed my intention to continue to use the slightly leaky machine while I searched for a new one. But, I doubt that Dave has ever experienced what happens in a household of twelve when the washing machine is out of comission for 48 hours. It isn't pretty. And I can handle a little water leaking onto my basement floor for a few days. Besides, even when that pump gives out completely, and dumps the whole load of water on the floor--it is a high efficiency washer, it supposedly uses hardly any water, right? Well, anyway, there is a drain in the floor right beside it, how bad could it get? Probably not even close to as bad as the time that Ronan put the hose in the window well and ‘forgot’ he left it on.

The point is, my super expensive, should last me a lifetime washing machine, lasted us six years. I am willing to admit that my family is harder on a washing machine than your average family, but seriously, I am fairly certain that my mom used the same washing machine and dryer for at least most of the years that I lived in her house. And while the washer does get a lot of use, I don't think it is being abused. It's not like my children are climbing in for a ride (and, by the way, I totally put a stop to the dryer being used as a hiding place for hide and seek games too). It isn't just the washer either. I am already looking for a new vacuum cleaner. The current one is probably the fifth we've owned. I buy a toaster every couple years, and that is usually after months of going without toast or eating it either burnt or barely warm (or, with some toasters you can have it both ways--burnt on one side, barely warm bread on the other). We have replaced dishwashers three times. I am on my fourth Kitchenaid mixer. I buy new electric griddles every few years. So, is it me? Am I super destructive? Or is my stuff just wussier than the stuff my mom had? Or, am I just not remembering the headaches my mom went through because they weren't my headaches?

By the way, Dave did not charge me anything for his original diagnostic visit Saturday morning, his trip to the parts store to pick up the parts he originally thought would fix our problem or even for the 50 minutes he spent lying on my basement floor today discovering that things were way more serious after all.

Hiking in Palmer Park

Culture Shock

This afternoon, Ronan was reading Diary of a Wimpy Kid to me and came across a term he just couldn't grasp; 'Seating Chart.' I explained to him how seating charts at school work and Ronan responded with "Bummer."
This sort of culture shock is a fairly common occurrence in our home. Noah was very amused when he first learned of bathroom passes. The idea of needing permission to use the bathroom! Even worse, the thought that permission might actually be denied! And the first time my older four saw a locker room shower at Grandpa's school the shock was overwhelming. (Now we are members of the Y, so the younger Enrights are very aware that locker rooms have their very own rules of propriety that just don't mesh with societal rules outside of a locker room. It is still shocking though.) Currently the kids have been discussing the disgrace of one 16 minute recess a day (a fact they apparently picked up from someone at church).

First Day of the Semester

This was the first week of spring semester at the college. What that meant for us was that while we had been doing school now for a couple weeks, this week we threw driving Erin and Bayley to classes into the mix. Wednesday was their first day of classes. So, our day went like this:

Erin, Bayley, Kegan and Rhys got home from Seminary a little after 7. The goal this morning was to be heading to the YMCA by 8:15. This is a huge deal for us, everyone up and fed and in the car by 8:15, but we did it. It was a little chaotic as we ran up and down stairs locating towels, swimming suits and duffel bags for everyone, not to mention car keys and cell phones. And the mess we left behind in the kitchen when we kissed our Daddy goodbye at the door (that was a switch) wasn't pretty, but we did it. Bayley had to work that morning (hence the early swim time) so she was our lifeguard instead of getting to swim with us. We arrived back home about 10:30 sans Bayley, to clean up our mess before we could begin school. The pretty little schedule I have put together for this semester says that we have an hour for math after swimming on Wednesdays, but I had Erin's class time down as starting at two. It starts at twelve.

I had just enough time to sit everyone down with instructions to do their math before I had to leave to get Erin to the college. I took Ronan and his multiplication worksheet with us. The drive to and from the college is about a forty minute trip. Erin's four hour baking class met for one hour on Wednesday, as the kitchens were under construction over the break and were not yet ready to be used. I was home long enough to sort out who had and who hadn't finished their math, and give some directions regarding lunch, before I headed back to pick Erin up from class. Erin and I were nearly home when we decided that a back tire was definitely making an odd clunking noise every time it turned around. In the driveway back at home I examined said tire and discovered a large bolt embedded in it. Driving left to do that day? Pick up Bayley from the Y, bring her home, take her downtown for her evening writing class, pick her up after class. Booger.

Aside from filling them with gas and occasionally scraping ice from the windshields, I have very little to do with the maintenance of our cars. I was vaguely aware of two things, one; a bolt in your tire is bad, and two; Kris had told me sometime in the past that he had a deal with some tire place somewhere in town to fix or replace flats for free. After interrupting Kris in a board meeting with several texts and phone calls, he was able to lead me to the proper paper work so I could contact the right tire place. I called them, they said they could fix it in an hour and a half, I had precisely an hour and a half before I needed to pick up Bayley. So, I put science class on hold, let Erin take over dinner preparations and headed out to the tire place with Ronan and his math again.

It took me less than 10 minutes to get there, then I stood in line for 20 minutes and by the time I got to the front, they were estimating a two hour wait now. I didn't have two hours. The tire guy looked at my tire, said he thought I could drive on it for a bit yet and scheduled me for a 5:30 appointment, the latest they had in the day, and only 15 minutes from the scheduled beginning of Bayley's downtown class (at least 20 minutes from the tire place).

At home again I hurriedly got chili cooking (Erin had the cinnamon rolls under control), before I had to pick up Bayley. Brought Bayley home for a twenty minute layover before I had to take her to class. Got her to class with only one wrong turn downtown (I know, big deal, right? But it is a big deal when you are driving a bus!) By now Kris had called and was on his way home from Pueblo, so he met me at the tire place and oversaw what turned out to be the replacement of both inner rear tires, because a bolt was not my only problem. See, a wise friend told us when we purchased a bus with dual wheels on the back, that we could have a flat back there and not know it, because the car will ride on the other tires. Guess what? He was right. Both inner tires were flat and we didn't even know.

A crazy first day of the semester. Kegan, Kris and I arrived home with our new tires and ate some delicious chili and cinnamon rolls. I picked up Bayley from class that night in the Honda, which is infinitely more maneuverable on the downtown streets. Fionn fell asleep in the backseat on the way there. And on Thursday, Ronan finally got that math done.

Kegan got His Braces Off!!!!

Yay! Three years and ten months in braces. Four Christmases with no caramel apples. Fionnula doesn't remember his teeth any other way.

December

Today we finally put away the Christmas tree. And removed the few forlorn looking stockings that were still hanging from the mantle (and fished the others out from under beds, we even emptied them of chocolate wrappers). The pyramid of wrapping paper rolls is gone from my bedroom. The popcorn and cranberry garlands are hanging in my backyard trees for any birds that may actually be willing to brave the freezing temperatures, and the gingerbread village is off of the schoolroom table and now rearranged out under the trees for the squirrels to enjoy. I am not really sure how good gingerbread houses really are for squirrels, with their concrete hard frosting and stale gumdrops, M&M's and peppermints, but it sure is entertaining to watch the squirrels towering over them, ripping off entire walls and greedily consuming every nasty morsel. And the squirrel fights that ensue over the rights to the gingerbread are impressive.


The Gingerbread Village waiting to be demolished

Yes, I let the Christmas decorations linger a little long this year, not so much because I wanted to enjoy them a little longer, (in fact I was really growing a little tired of the extra table crammed into my dining room and the futon blocking the bookshelves even if I did like sitting by the lit Christmas tree in the evenings), but because I just lacked the energy to actually take them down. In fact the real downside to an artificial tree has nothing to do with it's lack of authentic piney smell, but is all about the need to take it apart, cram it in an undersized box, and store it for a year rather than tossing it out the door.

We started our Christmas break this year at Thanksgiving. Made and mailed our caramel apples immediately after Thanksgiving day and then spent the next two weeks trying, unsuccessfully, to get all our Christmas shopping done before Kris and I left for Hawaii. We spent a Sunday afternoon putting up the tree and then making increasingly mal-formed gingerbread men. By the end of the evening Kris and the kids had made gingerbread men with multiple heads, extra limbs and several variations of aliens.

On the eighth, Kris and I headed to the airport at 4 in the morning, having said goodbye the night before, we just left everyone, including my mom, in bed and snuck out. Temperatures at home were in the single digits, but we didn't want to haul winter coats to Hawaii so we left them in the car at the airport parking lot and hurried to the terminal. About eight hours later we stepped out of another airplane into 84 degree weather. We didn't care to spend a lot of time around the resort area at Waikiki, but instead drove our little rental car around to the other side of Oahu each day. Interesting note here: the rental cars all had defrosters on their rear windows. So, we spent three days mostly hanging out on beaches that were primarily empty except for the sand crabs while my kids huddled in the house in Colorado and watched it snow.


Here is the view from my favorite beach.

Back home we rushed to finish Christmas shopping. We put up our new to us trampoline (after Kris and the kids drove up to Black Forest and took it apart--in the wind--at it's previous home)just before Christmas. Bayley worked constantly, and in her spare time at home managed to sew new jammie pants for the whole family, which we opened on Christmas Eve and all wore that night. Erin and I (mostly Erin)baked goodies on a daily basis. And we built the afore-mentioned gingerbread village (one house per kid, plus a castle by Erin). Rhys designed his gingerbread house to look like it was on fire. Ronan's and Kegan's each had Mario-Kart themes. On Fionn's birthday (the 22nd) we went to the Denver zoo and stayed late to see the zoo lights. Spent Christmas day cooking, playing lego and playstation, drawing, eating and visiting with one set of grandparents. Went to Greeley on the 27th and played with little cousins and Grandma and Grandpa. Were treated to a trip to the bookstore, doughnuts for breakfast and the joys of television! On the thirtieth we celebrated Noah's birthday with still more lego and still more food. Older kids had a dance on New Year's Eve, so we waited to play our traditional New Year's Game on New Year's Day, which meant more presents and lots more wrapping paper mess. So, when the January 2nd arrived, i just didn't feel very inspired to undecorate, but felt more like lying on the couch reading a good book, which is why the Christmas Tree lingered so long in my living room.