finn breaks a bone

i almost forgot to document finn's first break!

it happened in such a random way.
finn arrived home from school 2 days before we were to fly to florida for todd and heather's wedding. 
he was complaining the pointer finger on his right hand (he's a lefty).
he said "somehow during PE a ball just hit my finger and it really hurt".

he said he had wanted to cry but he didn't. he also didn't bother to tell his teacher either. 
the next morning it was still swollen and hurting him.
since christopher has broken many bones in his lifetime,
he had a hunch it was broken.

he took finn to the emergency room (a first) and sure enough his finger was broken.
he was given a splint and a copy of his x-ray and that was that.
he was very proud of this splint and having gotten an x-ray.

i overheard him telling scout "you have never broken a bone,
but big brother has." *laugh*
i chuckled because over the years, scout will have many opportunities to break a bone.
until then, finn has this to hold over his head.

getting old(er)

i'm hurting right now -an achy kinda hurt that makes me feel 'old'
or at least makes me wonder if this is the way i'll feel in 20 years
when my joints ache whenever the weather changes or after walking
up a flight of stairs.

i ran 11 miles this morning with tina and jen in preparation for next week's
half marathon (that's 13.1 miles for those who aren't runners).
i signed up for the race with the girls months ago to give me something to
work towards.

part of me thinks it's ridiculous to PAY to run, but i stay motivated to run when
i have a race to train for and the energy of all the runners on race day is exciting.
i was just thinking in the past i could run this distance and not think twice about it.
and i don't mean a long time in the past either - i'm talking just 2 years ago.

it's this 'flirting with 40' thing again - my body is just not the same.
my knees are achy and i think i might end up with 'runners feet' again (bruised toenails).
no fun since these bruised nails take months to grow out. worse case, maybe even a year
if the nail falls off completely. i've had both happen before. *ugh*
still i run because it generally feels good except for long distances.

anyway, it's been a very long day. after the long run,
i met the boys at the soccer field to watch finn play,
went home for a quick shower, ran errands and then
we went to the eichorn twins' first birthday party!
what a fun time.

it's hard to believe the twins are a year old already -
they've come a long way and are doing fabulous.
they've overcome so much in just a year. 
this family is certainly blessed.

i'm putting the boys down to bed in just a few minutes,
then i'm going to help myself to a BIG glass of wine,
and snuggle up with a book.
by tomorrow, i hoping to be back to normal.



sweet katherine


  



eichorn family:  kai, rich, katherine and kristi



boys in my house

 boys in my house
~ erin jo kilmer



image: google



i found this poem on the internet last night and it made me smile.
this goes out to all those mommies with boys.


there are boys in my house - and spiderman shoes
and 200 papers in various blues.
there's bob (he's a builder) and thomas the train,
there's a fireman coat to wear in the rain.

they have cars on their shirts and frogs on their hats
there's a glove and a ball and a red plastic bat.
there's dirt on a face and a smudge on a nose;
grass stains on knees and sand between toes.

there's bathtime at night with bodies to scrub,
and when we're all done there is dirt in the tub!
 there's bandaids and bruises and curious bumps,
there's smiles and laughter and sometimes there's grumps.

there's odors most icky; there's boogers so green
there's more yucky things than i'll ever get clean.
there's piles of laundry; there's stories at night;
there's bedtime and bathtime and dinnertime fights.

there's cars and there's trains and there's books about trucks,
there's scoop, lofty, dizzy, and travis, and muck.
sometimes there are bugs, and sometimes there are frogs;
sometimes they are lions, or dinos, or dogs.

there's running and climbing and jumping and falling
and laughing and crying and hugging and brawling ,
there's rolling and losing and finding and creeping
and whining and stealing and sometimes there's sleeping.

there's tantrums and time outs and extra loud noise

there's love in my house shaped like two little boys.

halloween 2009

i just heart halloween and since having children, i enjoy it even more.
this year was no exception!

we were lucky to have cousin chloe visiting with her parents.
she's 3 months old now and as sweet as sugar.
we all wanted to cuddle and hold her and her parents were good enough to let us. *grin*.
since she is a bit young for trick or treating,
she stayed back at the house and helped her parents hand out candy,
while christopher and i took the boys trick or treating.

this was our first time taking them together and it was so much fun (thx anissa and chad).
i will try to get a photo of chloe dressed in her costume from her mom and post.
she's so so cute! as for the boy's costumes, finn expressed his desire to be a robot a while back.
robots are his thing right now and c was happy to help create something. the boys pulled together cardboard boxes and items from around the house or from storage. the dryer vents came from home depot and the computer keyboard came from c's work.

scoutie is at the age where he refuses to wear anything uncomfortable so my idea for him to be 'max' from maurice sendak's 'where the wild things are', seemed perfect. who wouldn't want to wear a cozy footed sleeper on a cool night?!  i asked him a month ago or so if he'd like to be 'max', pointing out the wolf pajamas max wears in the storybook and he said "yes momma, i be max, finn be robot". that was easy enough.

finding a sleeper was the challenge. after searching on-line and having no luck finding a solid white or even a gray sleeper in toddler sizes, i visited ebay. sure enough i found a woman who was taking orders for any size 'max' costumes - from infants to adults. it wasn't cheap, but since i don't sew, i really didn't have a choice. i purchased a size 2 for scoutie and from the moment he tried it on, he *loved* it. it's super soft and stretchy and since our nights are nippy now, he wanted to wear it. his little crown was cut out of gold colored posterboard from michaels - very simple.

here are a few photos taken at a party at our neighborhood recreation center on friday night and then a few on halloween night. after going around just our block, both boys were done for the night. finn was complaining his pumpkin was "getting too heavy" and scoutie ended up getting a ride on my shoulders.
it's too bad i wasn't dressed as one of those monsters from the island that max visits.
that would have been really cute!
i recently found this shirt that i would love - so fitting. i think i will treat myself.

i hope your halloween was spooktacular!!

~ i didn't dress for halloween night, but i did dress for a fabulous party the weekend before.
i was amelia earhart.  wore a sexy lil' flight dress and my brown knee boots and this
faux fur pilot cap with the little pieces that cover the ear. SUPER cute.
so wish i had taken a photo.

at the pumpkin patch

tonight the boys and i headed to our little neighborhood pumpkin patch. 

for as long as i can remember, it's been on the corner of bayard and garnet street,
just two blocks from the ocean (unsual to some but not to us). 
it's where c and i have been going for years - long before we became parents. 

now that we are a family of four, we continue the tradition. 
the PB Pumpkin Patch isn't very big, and there aren't hayrides or wild pumpkins growing on vines. 
Still, there are plenty of pumpkins to choose from and the owners offer hot apple cider to the adults
 and apple juice to the little ones. the weather now is nippy now so it's a yummy treat. 

there are several red wagons for customers to borrow as they 'load up'. 
since we already had two pumpkins at home, the boys could just pick one each.
scoutie wanted the "tiny one" which was just $1.50. {no complaints from me} 
finn made a request for a GIANT pumpkin with a price tag of $25. 
i quickly let him know what his limit was (significantly smaller) and he stayed within it. 

the boys are a bit young for carving, 
so these will sit on the little white table on the front porch for a few weeks. 
 i'm hoping they will last through thanksgiving. 

oh i thought this was interesting, as finn wheeled his pumpkin to the counter so i could pay, 
the owner called him by his name. i asked how he knew finn and he said 
"well he's been coming since he was a baby." 

it's true and even though we buy our christmas tree in this same lot from this man every december, 
i still couldn't believe he remembered my little guy by name! i'm not sure if it's this white hair or his
precociousness, but he certainly makes an impressions on people. 

we are SO looking forward to this weekend - halloween parties, trick or treating
and a few days with auntie anissa, uncle chad (he's home from deployment) and cousin chloe.
they arrive tomorrow. *yay*


have a happy halloween everyone!!



 

 

my lil' pumpkins

florida trip - the wedding, part 4

i wanted to end the florida posts with tons of gorgeous photos of todd and heather on their wedding day - photos of them looking into each other's eyes and saying their vows, the ring exchange, the kiss, you get the picture.

unfortunately, i'm not able to do this because i didn't take many photos at all. i was so engaged in the wedding activities that i didn't 'play' photographer like i often do. whenever i decide to take photos or am asked to take photos, it becomes my job. i put my time and energy into it and it's work. i didn't want to 'work' at this wedding. there were professional photographers for this job. i sat back and let them do what they do best and i enjoyed the night - completely.

when those professional photos become available, i will post the link to their photos to share. in the meantime, here are two photos c or i did take that night. they give a little 'glimpse' into the wedding celebration and oh what a celebration it was!

todd and heather - wishing you a lifetime of love and happiness.
xo miss you both already!

florida trip - gatorland, part 3

as i florida native, i'm not sure how i managed to live there for 22 years and never visit gatorland but i had.
sure it's a total 'b' theme park, such a contrast to disneyworld and it's parks, but that's what made it so cool.
it was loads of fun! it's florida experience and it doesn't try to be anything else. they keep it real (real southern)
and it was refreshing. we ended up here because we had been unsuccessful in our search to see an alligator in the wild.

finn had his heart set on it while we were in florida. grandma suggested we go to the lake eustis dock and after an hour or so of looking down into murky water and on the banks without a sighting, we decided to call it a day. i mentioned to c that i had NEVER been to gatorland and learned he hadn't either. we were both curious and we thought the boys would enjoy it so we decided to go. we got to the park just as it opened on the day we were flying back to san diego.

the park was more than any of us expected - in a good way. the shows were entertaining and with over 2,700 alligators (that's what the lady at the ticket counter told me), we would have to be blind not to see one. she was right. they were EVERYWHERE - little ones, middle sized ones and humungous ones! scout got to ride a little red train around the park and finn got a chance to sit on an alligator - something he will certainly share with his kindergarten classmates. before we headed to the airport, we grabbed lunch there and sampled gator. yes, it tasted like chicken...just a little more chewy. finn loved it.

if you haven't gone to gatorland yet, ya'll need to go and check it out the next time you are in orlando.
i just had to use my ol' southern speak for fun. {i don't think i've said ya'll in over 15 years].

the park's signage made me chuckle (below)

a much happier scout, moments after being bitten on the finger by a rooster

while trying to feed the deer. it happened so quick - the rooster came out of nowhere. he was ok, more frightened then hurt.

we did all the cheesy touristy things *smile*

finn's biggest adventure of the day (and my most terrifying)

florida trip - in and around lake county, part 2

leslie and i took our little guys to jungle zone in tavares one morning to wear 'em out.
this place came recommended by the front desk person at the hotel our family was staying at.  
the woman was a grandmother and suggested this place for young children.  it was perfect! 

all of us (moms included) spent 2 hours jumping and sliding.
though it just opened a few months ago, they have it down well .
they have a snack bar that sells individual capri suns for the kiddos and coffee for the adults.
they know what mommas need..

we will definitely visit again when we are in town!

 


another day c and i took the boys to wooten park in tavares.
it's a lovely little park with a giant wood playground and a splash park which was the boys' favorite.
it wasn't too crowded but i imagine on a hot summer day, this place could be nuts!
this is another place we will visit again on a future trip.

florida trip - planes, trains and automobiles, part 1

if you are are a mom, grandma, auntie, teacher or just have friends with boys,
you know that most little boys are OBSESSED with 'things that go'.

our trip to florida included lots of 'things that go' - taxis, airport shuttles,
airplanes and train rides - all which put giant smiles on finn and scout's faces.
christopher had the forethought to have the camera in hand to capture some

 

finn - half awake as we start our day in the
san diego airport at 6:30 am











i think watching the planes come in, take off and fuel up is
more exciting than actually flying for the boys

 







a very happy and excited scoutie as he
takes a train ride at gatorland park



home from florida

we are back home from a wonderful and extremely full visit to florida.
despite a head cold that grew progressively worse and caused me to be more or less comatose for the first 4 days of the trip, i plugged along and started feeling better the morning of the wedding *big sigh of relief*.
i even felt good enough to strut myself on that dance floor alongside the bride and groom, my uncle, childhood friends and leslie who was 'tearing it up'.

i will share the photos i took through kodakgallery this weekend and post a few as well. family,
please be patient. i just haven't gotten that far yet as i am still playing catch up.
laundry and halloween costumes comes first and i don' t have a week to work on them.
(we have two kid's birthday/halloween parties this weekend)

the wedding of course was the highlight of our trip.
it was magical - truly the best wedding i've ever been too. i may be a little biased, but i have gone to my fair share of weddings, and this one was not only stunningly beautiful, but a complete blast!! my mouth actually hurt from smiling and laughing all night.

i overheard others saying the same thing. i wish i could give a better description, but i'm tired and it's been a long week. i can just say it was a joyous occasion. i can hardly wait to see the professional photos.
i am so grateful to todd and heather for allowing me to share in their beautiful ceremony and celebration!

they are off honeymooning in ireland. and since every post deserves a picture or two,
this is what i am envisioning they are seeing as they drive along the countryside,
staying in quiant bed and breakfasts.  so lovely.