#2 & #23 of (101 in 1001)

So I have started in on my quest to do 101 things in 1001 days. For those of you that might not have seen my list yet you should check it out when you are done reading this. I think I have completed four items already and at least 2 of my random acts of kindness. Go me!! It is really nice to have a list of goals - it kind of helps keep me in check.

Anyhow, I thought I would let you know how participating in item #23 turned out for us last week. We participated in our local Tour De La Porte (a bike ride/5k walk to raise money for cancer) this is put on by our local hospital each August. My family & I participated this year by working at one of the water stops about halfway (57 miles in) on the bike tour. We had snacks, water & gatorade to hand out as well as maps to show riders where to go, etc. As our stop was halfway and our shift was over lunch we had a lot of people stop (over 60) During this time we ran out of water and gatorade. We were at a stop kinda in the boondocks in the country so even though we had called for reinforcements they didn't make it before we were completely out of water. Sooo, I sent DH down to a little country store where he bought a huge (5 gallon) container of water and a 30 lb bag of ice.(This is how #2 ties in here) We couldn't let the poor bikers go without water-it was a hot day and they are out there for such a good cause!

In the meantime I thought I would share this somewhat comical (now that it is over) story about what happened to the kids and I as our shift was ending up. We were asked to stay an extra hour as there were riders that joined late - we said yes, again b/c we couldn't bear to leave someone w. the prospect of no water or food. We were at a local tourist spot that has old fashion steam trains. Soo, since the kids were getting restless I asked Jon if I could take them on a ride while he finished out our shift.

I took the kids and we bought our tickets and boarded the train. The train that is old, has no windows, and only a chain on the far side to make sure riders do not fall out. G slid in first, then LJ then I. There were lots of families on the train and little J was sooo excited because he has never ridden a train before. Off we went on our little adventure of a relaxing 20 minute train ride through the country. About 3 minutes in I felt a pinch on my back. I didn't think much about it at first b/c there was a little boy behind me with his mom & I just assumed he had brushed against my back. But then my back really began to hurt, I mean BAD. So I asked the lady behind me if there was a bee on my back. She said yes, and went for her shoe to try and kill it. In the meantime it flew into her row and proceded to sting her on the leg 2 times. At this point G is freaking out and I am going for my shoe so I can swat at it if it comes back up by us.....mind you we are on a MOVING train at this point in the middle of nowhere in the country......

Before I can get my shoe off I hear the scream and instinctively know that the bee has gotten G. She is scrambling over her brother (again on a moving train with a chain for a door) trying desperately to make it to my lap. She has been stung on the throat twice. I meanwhile am in pain myself, am concerned for the lady who has been stung behind us, am trying to make sure little J doesn't fall off the train (lest G kick him on her way to my lap) and scared that G's throat is gonna swell up and cutt off her airway in the middle of the country on our slow little train. When all of a sudden the family in front of me plucks LJ off of the seat beside me and swoops him up to the seat with them.

Now, I am thankful to them for making sure my little boy did not fall off of the train, and that they pulled him out of the bee from you-know-where's war path. However, I also wasn't entirely sure I liked the fact that a stranger took my child right out of his seat next to me (may I remind you all again that this has all taken place on a moving train!) It was nice that they took him and the lady was asking as she took him because G was screaming. But still. Anyhow, I did get G calmed down, and it was much easier w/out LJ clinging to me also......he was busy giving high-fives to the kids in the seat in front of us. I was able to get G a sip of water and watch her for a few minutes to make sure she was going to be able to breath ok. I have tried to think to myself what I would have done if I was that person in front of us....I think I honestly would have done the same. Tried to save some poor kid from harm. It might have startled that parent too but, I think in the long run the parent would be thankful like I am now too. So....whoever you were lady train saver, thanks! Anyway-for a lesson in kindness and serving others it sure turned out to be a most memorable day if not all for the wrong reasons!!

Super Giveaway News

Over on Intenionally Katie, she is giving away a dress or skirt made by Flitterbug Designs. There isn't much time left to enter. Check it out at http://intentionallykatie.blogspot.com/

Good luck!

Kindergarten Interview take 2

Me: Ok Grace, how was your first day?
G: Good.
Me: What was your favorite thing today?
G: Eating lunch.
Me: Really! Why?
G: B/c I got to eat food and I like food. Food is the best thing in the world for you.
Me: Ok, well, did you make new friends?
G: Yes, Anandi, & Hannah.
Me: Did you do anything fun in class?
G: Yes, we did circle time, and I met Mrs Hay (her teacher) -(Grace then says laughing) I thought she was going to be an older lady like a grandma, but-- she is actually just a kind of old lady like you!
Me: Me thinking in my head again, not sure if this is a compliment or not....

Me: Are you ready to back again tomorrow?
G: No
Me: No! Why not?!
G: Because it might be a hot day tomorrow and I don't want to be hot on the playground, I would rather it rain, rain, rain, rain, rain...(by the end she is sing-songing rain)
Me: laughing.....well, I don't think that is a very good reason not to go back! Some days it will be hot and other days it will be cold. Did you have fun tonight at our family back to school dinner?
G: Yes
Me: What was the best thing you had to eat tonight?
G: Dessert, I loved the little brownie. (We had an ice-cream Sundae bar)
Me: Did you enjoy spending with the whole family?
G: Yeah, it was fun seeing the whole family and eating. They like us kids and adore us alot....adore means we are cute and they kind of like us I hope.
Mama, would you like to be my assistant and play school?
Me: G-if we had time I would love to but now it is almost time for bed.

So, I think this went a little better than this morning. We both survived at least!
Sarah

First Day of Kindergarten

Interview with Grace:

Me: So Grace are you excited for today?
G: Yeah, Why do you say so?
Me: Because its your first day of big school and I wanted to ask you some questions about it.

Me: Do you think you will like your new teacher?
G: Yes
Me: Why do you think you will like her?
G: Uhhh....Becasue she will be MY teacher (said with some attitude!)

Me: Are you excited to make new friends?
G: yes

Me: thinking to myself--I think it must be too early to try this interview, the cahtterbox is only giving me yes answers and no cute details....hmmm....we may have to try this after school.

Me: What are you going to wear today?
G: My new outfit!

Me: again thinking to myself--guess I will be done for now....I think we will try later for an opinion of how the day went.

Check back tonight to see how the first day went!

Summers.

It has been a whirlwind of a few weeks. Since I last wrote we have gone to an amusemant park, visited one of our favorite little beach towns in Michigan and we are gearing up as we speak to help host a fundraiser for our favorite childrens hospital-Riley Childrens Hospital in Indianapolis. Although it has been a busy few weeks we will not complain...if not for our beloved Riley we may have not been having quite such a good summer this year.

Last summer out of the blue our daughter Grace woke up from a nap in excrutiating pain. We rushed her to our local hospital where they thought she had kidney stones-a rare thing for a 4 year old. Our hospital, nor the ones close by, had the capabilities to treat her at such a young age and we were transferred out to Riley in the middle of the night. Never have I been so scared in my life. I had a new baby (LJ was only 4 months old) my four year old was crying and puking, and I was told to run home and pack a bag and drive to Indianapolis as quickly as we could ( a 3 hour drive-like it could be quick! HA!) Long story short-she did not have kidney stones but a rare birth disorder with her kidneys and ureters. After a 3 day stay to find out what was causing her the pain we were sent home. Two weeks later we returned for a surgery. After another 4 day stay in the hospital we returned home for 2 days before my daughter was spiking fevers and writhing in pain again. The culprit was another rare post-op infection. This time we were rushed by ambulance in the middle of the night from our small town back to the big city. 2 more trips for inpatient stays to continue fighting the infection, a trip back to get her stent out. Several more follow up trips as her kidney still didn't want to function well after surgery......majority of summer 2009-spent in a hospital.

But we could never have asked for a better place! Our Dr. is a Christian, our nurses remember our daughter by name. We still write to a few on occasion. We have visited and taken treats and at Christmas, my daughter insisted on making all the nurses on the floor, as well as her Dr.- homemade Christmas ornaments. The staff helped us with places to stay and tips on food (Ronald McDonald house!) everyone was friendly and nice and you could tell they all loved kids and Riley! Bonus: they SAVED our daughters life!!!

So anyhow, fast forward to summer 2010. We are having a summer. A summer we are extremely grateful for in so many ways! Not only do we have a healthy happy 5 year old-who will start kindergarten in a week! We have a rambuncious 16 month old-who survived the trauma of it all (thanks to grammy & papa who drove down to stay in hotels close by every visit last year to support us and allow me time with my baby!)We have focused on family and how important it is this year. We had a family vacation to Virginia Beach and Charlottesville for a family wedding. We went to Indiana Beach as a family. We have stayed home many a weekend or weeknight and had cookouts and kids splashing in the pool.

And that brings me to this weekend. This Saturday and our busyness. Our busyness hosting a fundraiser to earn money to send to Riley. We are doing it together as a family. We are doing it to support a great hospital. We are doing it in the hopes to send money to help other families in need. It is the weekend before back to school, it is the day of our big camping sleepover with friends, and it will hopefully be the day to start a new family tradition of paying it forward. In the midst of all our busyness we need to remember to make and take time to do the things that are good and right with our family. Happy remaining summer to all of you! I hope we have helped inspire you to pay it forward to a cause that is near and dear to your heart!! :-)

Trademark.

My little boy- Little Jon (LJ) is 16 months old. Since he was born he has been attached to his pacifier and a blankie. It was obvious he would like to hold things as he came out of the womb clenched to the umbilical cord for dear life. The Dr. had to actually pry his little fingers away.
We knew we were a paci family before he was born because LJ's big sister had a paci when she was little. We had planned to make LJ a paci boy as we like the idea we can take away a paci and we can not take away a thumb or a finger. Little did we know we would not only be a paci family but a combo-paci & blankie family. I was not prepared to tote a blankie with me every where we went! We have been smart about our blankies though; we have introduced little man to a variety of blankies from the beginning. For fear the dreaded blankie get lost like so many a paci have!
Little man likes to put his own spin on the pacifier though. Literally. Since we can remember, our boy, has liked to suck on his paci upsidedown. At first we would gently turn it around. Flip. Back upsidedown it would go! We eventually came to understand he didn't mind it that way-he actually preferred it this way. Although we have gotten used to it and know that this -as we call it,is his "trademark". Many a stranger or fellow church member has been quite bothered by the fact that he insist on keeping it in the wrong way! I however love that it shows his individuality at such a young age!
Tonight as I was rocking him to sleep, he made me want to write about this trademark. He was being rocked gently with his paci,of course, upsidedown. When his blankie started to slip slowly off of his lap and away from the grasp of his little fingers. He immediately stirred and began to awaken. Eyes closed still, he frantically moved his hands all over searching for the blankie. I placed it gently up by his cheek and he sighed,grasped his blankie tightly, nestled in again, settled right down, sucked a few more times on his upsidedown paci and fell peacefully asleep again. Sweet dreams baby boy, sweet dreams.