Monthly Archives: May 2007

The Sarge went in for x-rays today. The bone is still bent a little downwards, but he is borderline for whether or not they should re-set it. The doctor doesn’t think it will be necessary in the long run, because he has so much more growing to do yet. They recommended that we just leave it and let it remodel itself. Yay! (We were very concerned about the whole re-breaking it thing!) They added one more week to his cast wearing time, so he should get it off in 4 weeks from now (a total of 5 weeks). Thank goodness it wasn’t something more serious, the Sarge is counting the days until he can swim again!

Thank you for praying with our family.

Yay, we made it to the weekend and Hubby is off through Tuesday. Time for family time and some serious rest and renewal. Hope you all have a wonderful Memorial weekend!

We’re getting back to normal around here. We were able to carry 1/2 of our normal schooling subjects this week, but with doctor appointments, extra cuddles, and falling behind in laundry, we chose to shoulder only 1/2, and pick up the rest next week.

I was able to get the house back in order yesterday. I’m down to only 3 loads of laundry and a mountain to fold. I need to get some yard work done….mowing, hose down the pool deck, etc. Yesterday I cleaned off a hand print on the back window but that just revealed that I needed to wash the entire series of windows out back. Grrrr. I should have left the hand print!

We’ve got the weekly pool party planned for tomorrow, attendance will be down because some of the families are traveling. But we’ve got a watermelo, a clean house, and good weather so it should be fun. The Sarge is excited to show all his buddies and have them sign his cast. We’ll probably set him up with some games or a video game that his friends could play too.

Off to tame the yard!

Day Two after injury, in much better spirits!
We met with the orthopedic surgeon today to get details and a cast. The two bones are broken, which we knew from the ER doctors. What we didn’t know is that the larger bone is bent downward slightly. This needs to be corrected so they planned to put the cast on Sarge and then manipulate the arm so that there is a slight pressure against his wrist pushing it upwards. The Sarge was scared, we had talked about what might happen for setting or adjusting. He knew it would hurt immediately but be better in the long run. He was very brave.

The doctor got a leg up on the table and began to adjust the cast. The Sarge breathed through it and winced a little but didn’t cry. The Imp was very fascinated and proud of her big brother. About this time, the Gremlin steps forward white as a sheet, mumbles, “Mom, my head feels spacey,” and then proceeded to pass out cold.

I caught his shoulders and the nurse grabbed his head and we laid him on the floor. He came too as soon as we laid him down, but he stayed there while they finished up on the Sarge. The doctor and staff were very understanding and kind about it. He was very confused and dizzy for a bit, but we got him out to the car where he perked up in the fresh air. He doesn’t remember much. He felt bad for the Sarge and was worried the doctor would hurt him and then he woke up on the floor with everyone staring at him.

We have to go in next week for another x-ray to determine if the adjustment was enough, or if they need to be more aggressive (re-break) to correct the alignment. Keep us in your prayers. We are praying for the adjustment to be enough.

6 Hours after injury
If you think of it, say a quick prayer for the Sarge at 3pm. He was racing down a hill with his friend and the Gremlin and he hit a patch of sand on his bike yesterday. He was thrown off his bike and caught most of his weight on his wrist, hands, and face. We thought he just sprained his wrist, but a couple hours and ice packs later, it seemed like it might be more than a sprain. We took him to the satellite ER last night and they took x-rays and splinted it. He broke both bones in his left arm, about 1 inch above his wrist. We go to the specialist today, at 3pm for details (setting, if necessary, and a cast?) The ER doctors didn’t think he would need surgery, the break is “good”….. I guess that means it’s clean and not shattered or rotated out of place yet. Pray that the bones stay in position and that it won’t involve his growth plate or anything more serious. We are trying to keep Sarge still and comfortable till they can put his cast on. Your prayers are coveted.

Hubby took off Friday because he has been burning the candle at both ends and they are about to meet in the middle. We were looking SO forward to a relaxing weekend with nothing much planned besides dinner and floating in the pool, with occasional breaks for sleeping and couch potato moments (these moments help to justify buying our furniture.)

Yesterday was blissfully absent of anything that demanded more than a fleeting thought. The weather was gorgeous, we washed the cars, swam, and did ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! (contented grin appears just thinking about it!)

This morning we were lazily doing more of the same, with a few fleeting thoughts of going to the gun range. Then the work phone rang. Hubby got called in for a “non-emergency” that had to be handled NOW. (Doesn’t that qualify it as an emergency then?) After an hour and a half drive round trip, he spent 30 minutes on the non-emergency and “saved the world.” (Not understanding even half of the techie stuff Hubby is involved with, we are just happy to assume it’s ALL very important.)

Our blissful lazitude (Is that a word? If not it should be) had been shattered, so he decided he wanted to go to the range with the guys. This worked for me, cause it was a bit hot to keep the littles (read “non-shooters”) happy for long, if it was to be a family outing. Daddy went off to shoot with the guys and we wondered what we should do to make daddy’s brief outing less protested.

What’s a gal to do?…..of course, invite a bunch of little kids over for a impromptu pool party! Lots of good natured splashing. A bazillion bathroom runs. Ear shattering little girl squeals and whining about getting wet. (”You’re in a pool darling, you’re already wet!”) Goodness, we had FUN!

This was our first pool party where the girls outnumbered the boys. They paddle the raft with the water guns instead of using them to shoot. They pretend to be mermaids that sing instead of being pirates that pillage. They whine if there is even the slightest chance that the brothers are within 12 feet of them. They even demonstrated a display of impressive strength and got the Sarge off the raft using only his two big toes, cannonball jumps, and sheer determination.

But the most shocking of all?…….the Imp made war for the raft, but then got all girlie and fussed when the boys splashed back. What?…..Why is my daughter in a pool complaining that she is getting wet from a squirt gun!?…..When did this happen?!

ESTROGEN. Even in little miniature females, it is a force to be reckoned with. The boys were trying to figure out what happened, too. Mini females that herd together are very unsettling to a household that is normally powered by mega doses of Testosterone. Today the balance shifted ever so slightly and only for a brief time, and we had a glimpse of a very different world. I tip my hat to the mothers of multiple daughters. What a hormonal world you must live in!

I found this interesting article about how many Americans have returned to the medieval practice of doing a sort of penance for the wealthy. This acts as a balm to their souls, assuages their guilt, and permits them to preach to the peasants to, “Do as I say, and ignore what I do.”

You can read the article here.