Never a dull moment

Life around here is full of firsts.  Today was not our first trip to the emergency room.  In fact, I think it was our eighth.  But it was the first trip to two ERs in the same day, and it was definitely the first to which we were transported via ambulance.

So, yesterday we had a nice family bike ride over to the playground at Travis Elementary and back.  Once we got back, Charlie's asthma started acting up and he began coughing.  We tried to get it under control, but by Sunday morning decided we should take him in for a breathing treatment.  In an effort to avoid the long wait at Texas Children's Hospital, and since we knew exactly what he needed, we decided to take him to Memorial Hermann Northwest, which is the nearest hospital to our house.  Cort took him around 8:30am, right after Sunday morning waffles.

According to Cort, it seemed to be going relatively quickly.  Charlie got his breathing treatment, but then they checked his oxygen saturation levels and they weren't sufficiently high to let him go home.  Another breathing treatment.  Sat levels still too low.  Some oral steroids, an hour on oxygen, and another breathing treatment.  Still too low.  At this point, they start talking about admitting him to the hospital.  And that to be admitted he needs to go to Texas Children's.  And he has to get there by ambulance.

Cort is with him, and tells me that Charlie looks, acts, feels, and is breathing just fine.  We call the pediatrician's office, but the doctor who calls back is not going to second-guess the ER physician.   So off they go.  And, because by this time Cort's iphone is almost dead, I have to load up the rest of the kids--during naptime, by the way--and bring him an iphone charger before they leave.  As a result, the whole family got to see him off in the ambulance!

Joe posing with Charlie in the ambulance

At Texas Children's, they still say they "won't fault" the ER physician for his decisions.  But, apparently, when you give a child albuterol breathing treatments to treat his asthma, that causes oxygen saturation levels to be lower.  So, in a nutshell, he was fine.  He was discharged from the Texas Children's ER at 3:30pm without having to be admitted.  I loaded everyone up again and went to pick them up (Cort's car was at the first hospital, remember).  

Then we came home, and they went swimming.

What we learned the first week of kindergarten

Charlie has a kid in his kindergarten class named Daniel who is only 3 or 4 years old.  Really, Charlie? You don't think he might just be small for his age?

Everyone in Joe's class got a green card/smiley face, except Ryan who got yellow/a straight face for talking when the teacher was talking.  I'm SO glad I'm not Ryan's mom!

Charlie has a Sophia sitting at his table, and Joseph has a Sophia sitting at his table too!  You wouldn't believe how much they liked this coincidence.

Cody can already tie his own shoes, but Pearl can't tie her own shoes and Pearl is bigger than Cody.  Charlie can't tie his own shoes either. But I supposed that's okay because he's not bigger than Pearl or Cody?

In Joseph's classroom every table is labeled with a color, and he is very excited to be sitting at the pink table.  He's very secure in his masculinity.

Kindergarten!

Today was the boys' first day of kindergarten!  It was an adjustment, since they are in different classes for the first time.  But they did great.  We left them looking somewhat overwhelmed, but no tears.  (Mom and Dad managed to make it mostly without tears too.)  We are so proud of our kindergarteners!

Joseph and Charlie ready to head into the school on the first day

Charlie reading a book at his seat in his new class

Joseph showing off his spot in his new class

Movie night

Last night we inaugurated Maddux Movie Night.  We all got in our PJs, made popcorn, and watched The Sandlot.  (All this after Will and Helen were in bed, for obvious reasons.)  We had such a great time.  I'm not sure future movie nights will live up to the first one, because not many kids movies are as great as The Sandlot.  (I would welcome any recommendations, though - especially if sports-related.)  But still, I look forward to this becoming a regular event, eventually for the whole family, for years to come.

The boys snuggling up with Dad to watch the movie

Conversations in the car

I've always heard you can get into thought-provoking conversations with your kids while driving in the car.  Apparently that's true, as a recent car ride got Charlie to thinking.  

"Mom," he observed, "you and Dad are both bigger than me."  As I nodded, he continued, perplexed, "But, I am smarter than both of you.  How did that happen?"

La la la la

La la la la, Elmo's World. Will and Helen are officially Elmo groupies. And I officially think all those people who think kids shouldn't watch any TV are nuts.

On the last day before the boys returned home, I got home with Will and Helen, and no dinner plan, around 6. I put on "The Best of Elmo" in the playroom, and they watched it while I cooked dinner. We ate 20 minutes later. 20 minutes to cook dinner alone with no crying, screaming, whining, fighting, or requests for mommy. Long live Elmo!

A big boy!

I was taking some Excedrin for a headache, and when Helen said "I want some," I told her it was grownup medicine that she couldn't have.

Then I asked if she was a grownup.

She said, "No!"

So I asked her what she is.

She answered, proudly, "A big boy!"

Makes my Monday

We returned home from vacation on Saturday. From our amazing, relaxing, wonderful, stupendous vacation. Vacation pictures will be posted soon, when we've had a chance to decompress, do all the laundry, and sort through the 700-odd pictures we took over our ten days at the beach.

But for now, on this Monday back to work and reality, I wanted to mention what makes my day: babysitters. Specifically, babysitters on vacation. For the past two years, we've taken our regular babysitter, Cynthia ("Sensa" or "Eesa," as the kids call her), with us to Grand Cayman. Cynthia is amazing - she is a teacher at the kids' preschool and can handle all four kids herself, with ease, when necessary. But it was rarely necessary on this trip because we also brought with us our niece, Caitlin. Caitlin is also amazing. She's 16, and she's been going on this trip with us since she was 13. And she has always been responsible beyond her years. Besides that, since she lives in Florida, we love hanging out with her for a week or more every year, so that we (and the kids) actually know her. She's a lot of fun and a great kid.

I used to wonder about people who took babysitters on vacation. Never understood why it was necessary. Hello! It's a vacation for the parents too. I have no idea why I never got that.

With Cynthia and Caitlin's help, Cort and I had an amazing, true vacation. Cort admitted to me that he went the first four days without changing a single diaper. Neither of us got up before 7am a single day, and we slept until 8am several days. We did not bathe the little ones once. And most nights, when it was bedtime, the kids came out to where we were -- usually overlooking the beach with a tropical drink in hand -- and gaves us hugs and kisses and told us good night. Then they disappeared inside our condo, went to bed, and we didn't see them again until the next morning. Four kids, four adults. A one-to-one ratio makes my day!

Caitlin with the boys (note Helen there in the corner, refusing to cooperate)

Cynthia with the kids (Helen still not cooperating, really)

Wordless Wednesday