Two girls.
Two First Lego League robotics teams. One state qualifier.
One long day.
Showing posts with label E3. Show all posts
Showing posts with label E3. Show all posts
Saturday, December 06, 2014
Thursday, December 04, 2014
Scraps
E1, E3 and I spent the evening making tied fleece blankets that will be delivered to Children's Hospital for Christmas. E3's pony Nemo gathered the scraps for us.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Finding Our Way
We found a playground! E3's art teacher said she thought there was a small playground by the Campus Apartments, but "that's way out there". Today we were early for E1 and E2's drop off and took a drive there.
In better weather it would be easily walk-able from campus...but with the heat and humidity we've been having, even though today was a bit cooler than the past three days, I chose to drive there. And we did, after dumping the two all-day campers at the curb of the library.
In better weather it would be easily walk-able from campus...but with the heat and humidity we've been having, even though today was a bit cooler than the past three days, I chose to drive there. And we did, after dumping the two all-day campers at the curb of the library.
There was playground frolicking, followed by a walk along the path that borders the lake...and then our 30 minutes was up on the parking meter. So, we headed back to campus to park and go on a nature walk.
E1 & E2 went on this same walk as part of their recreational activities yesterday and told us all about it. It was quite lovely, and we even came across something E3 had been wishing for earlier in the week.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Reading Bender
I've been swept away by young adult fiction lately. I think the last grown-up book I read was the second book based on the TV show Castle - Naked Heat. How's that for deeply intellectual? School book orders, where all the cool people now obtain their books.
I moved on to finish the Ghost Girl (this link has sound) series I began reading when E1 borrowed them from a friend. Both were equally entertaining, but maybe a little less so than the first book if only because I knew the general gist of the story background.
From there, I moved on to one of E1's choices The Gallagher Girl Series. Since we already had books 1-3, I was assured reading material for an extended period of time, right? Except young adult fiction, unless it's something mucho big like Harry Potter*, isn't usually all that much in the way of loads of pages to read.
Really though, this series is super cool and very entertaining - a secret spy school for girls! HI-YA! E1 received the fourth book as a Christmas gift, which we both soon devoured...only to be crushed by the news that the fifth book in the series won't be out until early 2012. ARGH! She and I agree that is an unreasonable amount of time to wait before learning Cammie's fate. I may try to track down The Heist Society, which sounds like the alter-ego (in book form) to The Gallagher Girls.
Next, it was the first of the two books in The Sisters Club , books I ordered -because three sisters that form a club? Yep. I've only read the first book, despite having both on the shelf, but it was cute and I think my girls, especially E2 and E3 will find it very entertaining.
Finally, a few days ago I started one of E2's selections, Flipped (I couldn't find the author's website), now a major motion picture! The first chapter was a bit slow to start for me, but last night I picked it up again (cable went out, so I couldn't watch Parenthood) and got sucked-in big time. I haven't finished it yet, but I'm really, really, really enjoying it. I think I'll finish it today. The book I've linked to is what we have from the school book order, and it includes photos from the movie. Unfortunately, the photos are in the middle of the book...so I've avoided looking at them so I don't spoil the ending for myself.
Although not Young Adult fiction, I have been reading Ivy and Bean books with E3. We gave her the first one at Kindergarten graduation, and she received the next two books as birthday gifts from her sisters. I'm trying to put in more time there, because girlfriend is convinced she doesn't read very well even though she SO DOES.
E3: I can't read chapter books.
Me: Yes you can - remember Lost In The Snow? You read almost half of it before I started reading it at bedtime.
E3: Yeah, but I had to skip some words I didn't know!
Perfection, it is her nemesis.
*Totally worthy of mucho bigness, by the way. In fact, I'm still waiting for J.K.Rowling** to write Hogwarts - A History so we can all know as much as Hermione does about Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
**E3 recently learned J.K.Rowling is a woman...E3: I thought a boy wrote Harry Potter. (big satisfied smile at the realization).
I moved on to finish the Ghost Girl (this link has sound) series I began reading when E1 borrowed them from a friend. Both were equally entertaining, but maybe a little less so than the first book if only because I knew the general gist of the story background.
From there, I moved on to one of E1's choices The Gallagher Girl Series. Since we already had books 1-3, I was assured reading material for an extended period of time, right? Except young adult fiction, unless it's something mucho big like Harry Potter*, isn't usually all that much in the way of loads of pages to read.
Really though, this series is super cool and very entertaining - a secret spy school for girls! HI-YA! E1 received the fourth book as a Christmas gift, which we both soon devoured...only to be crushed by the news that the fifth book in the series won't be out until early 2012. ARGH! She and I agree that is an unreasonable amount of time to wait before learning Cammie's fate. I may try to track down The Heist Society, which sounds like the alter-ego (in book form) to The Gallagher Girls.
Next, it was the first of the two books in The Sisters Club , books I ordered -because three sisters that form a club? Yep. I've only read the first book, despite having both on the shelf, but it was cute and I think my girls, especially E2 and E3 will find it very entertaining.
Finally, a few days ago I started one of E2's selections, Flipped (I couldn't find the author's website), now a major motion picture! The first chapter was a bit slow to start for me, but last night I picked it up again (cable went out, so I couldn't watch Parenthood) and got sucked-in big time. I haven't finished it yet, but I'm really, really, really enjoying it. I think I'll finish it today. The book I've linked to is what we have from the school book order, and it includes photos from the movie. Unfortunately, the photos are in the middle of the book...so I've avoided looking at them so I don't spoil the ending for myself.
Although not Young Adult fiction, I have been reading Ivy and Bean books with E3. We gave her the first one at Kindergarten graduation, and she received the next two books as birthday gifts from her sisters. I'm trying to put in more time there, because girlfriend is convinced she doesn't read very well even though she SO DOES.
E3: I can't read chapter books.
Me: Yes you can - remember Lost In The Snow? You read almost half of it before I started reading it at bedtime.
E3: Yeah, but I had to skip some words I didn't know!
Perfection, it is her nemesis.
*Totally worthy of mucho bigness, by the way. In fact, I'm still waiting for J.K.Rowling** to write Hogwarts - A History so we can all know as much as Hermione does about Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
**E3 recently learned J.K.Rowling is a woman...E3: I thought a boy wrote Harry Potter. (big satisfied smile at the realization).
Monday, January 10, 2011
Thursday, December 30, 2010
We'll Take Mysteries Of Peanut Allergies For $200 Jack
It happened at a Christmas party with Rob's extended family a couple of weeks ago...
We arrived at the party fairly early that day - that morning we helped set up for the Church Christmas play, then the girls had play practice, then we popped back home for some lunch and a little down time before heading to the party, after which we would be heading back to church for the Grand Performance of a cute little play called The Baddest Angel Band.
After unfurling the foil from the cookie plate and tortilla pinwheels we'd brought, E3 and I wound up perching on the two stools at the kitchen island. Bellying up to the bar of snackage, we were. As other guests arrived,I scoped out what food they'd brought... asking, where necessary, to check their packages of chips or crackers, or what ingredients were in their dish. As a courtesy, I also sampled each dish, because YUM.
I sat there, with Niece R on my lap, snacking away and patting myself on the back for more or less accidentally nabbing the best seat in the house for both getting first shot at everyones goodies AND for policing the snacks for possible peanuts. E3 sat there too, seemingly in a competition with Niece R to see who could eat the most fresh fruit.
After a while E3 began to complain about her eye, saying it was burning. Figuring it was pineapple juice, I advised her to stop rubbing it and just blink a little. The third or fourth time she mentioned it, I suggested she go find Rob and ask him to help her flush her eye with water. She did.
(I drive myself crazy, when looking at my children's illnesses in hindsight, because in the moment I always seem to think they just need to suck it up and deal...they're probably overreacting. When will I learn that my kids very rarely overreact and that I should suck it up and deal with the situation at hand?)
She returned to her stool, and it wasn't long before she was talking about her eye again, complaining that it was still bothering her.
What does it feel like?
It feels itchy.
I told her to look at me and gave her a good once-over. Her left eye was red, from where she'd been rubbing it. There was one small hive just above her eyebrow. Crap. I deposited Niece R on my stool.
Let's go get your allergy bag.
Uggghhhhh!
I just want to give you some Benadryl.*
In the bedroom where our coats, and her bag, had been left I began digging around for what looked like our stuff. As I pulled out the Benadryl, Rob's Cousin K walked in and I filled her in on what was happening. Cousin K, a Registered Dietitian, raised her eyebrows and agreed that Benadryl was a good plan...and commented that if this had to happen, we were in the right place. In addition to K, who works for a children's hospital, there were also two Registered Nurses and a doctor in the house.
E3 knocked back the recommended dosage. I watched her like a hawk. I brought the allergy bag back out to the kitchen with us where I re-examined the food. E3 had been eating fresh fruit - pineapple, grapes, blueberries, strawberries. In front of her was a bowl of fruit salsa with cinnamon-sugar sprinkled tortillas. Everything else nearby was, as far as I could tell, peanut free.
I asked E3 if she'd eaten anything from the dessert table in the other room. Our tray of safe cookies were there, but there was other stuff on the table that I knew was not okay for her (I always bring a plate of safe desserts to parties like this because it's easier than asking everyone else what kind of cookies, brownies, candy they brought and what the ingredients are).
She said she hadn't.
Cousin K and I were at a loss as to what could have caused the reaction...and I'll probably never know. It's maddening. I was on edge for the rest of the night, but the hive eventually disappeared and she said her eye no longer itched.
The experience reinforced my belief that we need to stay on our current path of peanut product avoidance, no matter how tempting it may be to loosen-up just this once - yes, even that package of non-peanut stuff that says it was processed in a facility that also processes peanuts. Because if they're going to give me that knowledge, I'm a fool if I don't use it.
*Not a paid endorsement, but just a big ole BOO-YAH to those pre-measured spoon things because they rock.
We arrived at the party fairly early that day - that morning we helped set up for the Church Christmas play, then the girls had play practice, then we popped back home for some lunch and a little down time before heading to the party, after which we would be heading back to church for the Grand Performance of a cute little play called The Baddest Angel Band.
After unfurling the foil from the cookie plate and tortilla pinwheels we'd brought, E3 and I wound up perching on the two stools at the kitchen island. Bellying up to the bar of snackage, we were. As other guests arrived,I scoped out what food they'd brought... asking, where necessary, to check their packages of chips or crackers, or what ingredients were in their dish. As a courtesy, I also sampled each dish, because YUM.
I sat there, with Niece R on my lap, snacking away and patting myself on the back for more or less accidentally nabbing the best seat in the house for both getting first shot at everyones goodies AND for policing the snacks for possible peanuts. E3 sat there too, seemingly in a competition with Niece R to see who could eat the most fresh fruit.
After a while E3 began to complain about her eye, saying it was burning. Figuring it was pineapple juice, I advised her to stop rubbing it and just blink a little. The third or fourth time she mentioned it, I suggested she go find Rob and ask him to help her flush her eye with water. She did.
(I drive myself crazy, when looking at my children's illnesses in hindsight, because in the moment I always seem to think they just need to suck it up and deal...they're probably overreacting. When will I learn that my kids very rarely overreact and that I should suck it up and deal with the situation at hand?)
She returned to her stool, and it wasn't long before she was talking about her eye again, complaining that it was still bothering her.
What does it feel like?
It feels itchy.
I told her to look at me and gave her a good once-over. Her left eye was red, from where she'd been rubbing it. There was one small hive just above her eyebrow. Crap. I deposited Niece R on my stool.
Let's go get your allergy bag.
Uggghhhhh!
I just want to give you some Benadryl.*
In the bedroom where our coats, and her bag, had been left I began digging around for what looked like our stuff. As I pulled out the Benadryl, Rob's Cousin K walked in and I filled her in on what was happening. Cousin K, a Registered Dietitian, raised her eyebrows and agreed that Benadryl was a good plan...and commented that if this had to happen, we were in the right place. In addition to K, who works for a children's hospital, there were also two Registered Nurses and a doctor in the house.
E3 knocked back the recommended dosage. I watched her like a hawk. I brought the allergy bag back out to the kitchen with us where I re-examined the food. E3 had been eating fresh fruit - pineapple, grapes, blueberries, strawberries. In front of her was a bowl of fruit salsa with cinnamon-sugar sprinkled tortillas. Everything else nearby was, as far as I could tell, peanut free.
I asked E3 if she'd eaten anything from the dessert table in the other room. Our tray of safe cookies were there, but there was other stuff on the table that I knew was not okay for her (I always bring a plate of safe desserts to parties like this because it's easier than asking everyone else what kind of cookies, brownies, candy they brought and what the ingredients are).
She said she hadn't.
Cousin K and I were at a loss as to what could have caused the reaction...and I'll probably never know. It's maddening. I was on edge for the rest of the night, but the hive eventually disappeared and she said her eye no longer itched.
The experience reinforced my belief that we need to stay on our current path of peanut product avoidance, no matter how tempting it may be to loosen-up just this once - yes, even that package of non-peanut stuff that says it was processed in a facility that also processes peanuts. Because if they're going to give me that knowledge, I'm a fool if I don't use it.
*Not a paid endorsement, but just a big ole BOO-YAH to those pre-measured spoon things because they rock.
Saturday, November 06, 2010
Friday, November 05, 2010
Signs Of Yore
This summer, the day before we left for Texas, E1 and E2 participated in a girls' day out event at our Community College. E3 and I picked up some last minute things for our trip, and then I planned on stopping at a playground after a quick drive around town. I remembered going shopping there back in the day - back when Woolworth's still existed. Unfortunately, during our drive around town it began to rain - eliminating our playground time.
So, I took pictures with my phone...and discovered the most recent software update had added zoom to my phone. Woo!
It's a Carillon! I don't think I'd heard the word before that day.
E3 at the Carillon.
E3 wanted a picture of the stone on this house...we circled the block something like three times and this is the best shot I could get. Well, without stopping the car...there was no place to park nearby.
E3 also wanted a picture of this fighter plane in the park...she was certain it was the same plane her friend A's Mom flies in Iraq. A's Mom is a surgeon, I think, but E3 got the Air Force part right.
Finally it was close to the time to grab some sub sandwiches and go pick up our glamour girls.
So, I took pictures with my phone...and discovered the most recent software update had added zoom to my phone. Woo!
It's a Carillon! I don't think I'd heard the word before that day.
E3 at the Carillon.
E3 wanted a picture of the stone on this house...we circled the block something like three times and this is the best shot I could get. Well, without stopping the car...there was no place to park nearby.E3 also wanted a picture of this fighter plane in the park...she was certain it was the same plane her friend A's Mom flies in Iraq. A's Mom is a surgeon, I think, but E3 got the Air Force part right.Finally it was close to the time to grab some sub sandwiches and go pick up our glamour girls.
Thursday, November 04, 2010
The Soccer Cleats Have Left The Building
Soccer season has ended for E3...
and for E2. The weather is getting pretty chilly, so I'm glad we don't have to sit out in it.
It's also nice not to have to run in two different directions at once, Rob going with E3 because he was helping coach and me going with E2.
and for E2. The weather is getting pretty chilly, so I'm glad we don't have to sit out in it.
It's also nice not to have to run in two different directions at once, Rob going with E3 because he was helping coach and me going with E2.
Just one lonely night a week of gymnastics for E3 is all we've got these days and it's a darn nice break.Monday, November 01, 2010
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Timeline Of A Cast
When E3 broke her arm, after the x-ray, the nurses at urgent care put a splint on it. It was some sort of space-age gauze that they activated with water and then strapped to her arm with an Ace bandage. The gauze hardened upon drying, which provided support to the broken arm.
This was my first experience with any sort of cast. Somewhere during that week, it occurred to me that in order to put a cast on her arm they would have to remove the splint. I wondered how painful that would be...would it be like the night she broke it, or would it have already stabilized itself somehow? Four days and a lot of anti-inflammatory meds later I found out that it would be almost more uncomfortable for me than it was for her.
Our family doctor removed the splint and began to examine her arm...he bent her wrist, he squeezed her arm, he turned her hand. Bend. SQUEEZE. Turn. BEND. SQUEEZE. TURN...E3 whimpered where necessary, and I...well, I started to sweat and get tunnel vision.
I'm familiar enough with situational fainting to recognize the symptoms, so when I started to sweat and feel thirsty and generally light-headed I asked for a drink of water...
Me (with E3 on my lap): Could I get a drink of water?
Nurse: Sure!
Dr R (darts eyes to my face): You doing okay?
Me: I'm much better now that you're not squeezing on her arm!
Apparently I try to be funny when my mind is freaking out.
I tried to pull myself together, and eventually set E3 down on the exam table, got myself another drink of water, and sat behind her instead (she wanted me to sit by her)...but it was no use. I finally stood up, said, "This is ridiculous!" and sat in a chair with my head between my knees. The nurse requested that I lie on the floor if I felt like I was going to pass out, to which I assured, "Oh, believe me I will!"
Because, you know, this has happened before. Back when I was in high school and my sister was in a car accident... She had minor injuries, thank goodness, but we still had to pick her up at the emergency room, where she was on a gurney covered with a blanket, and she started telling us what she remembered about the accident, and how she thought she blacked out...and as I sat on the doctor's stool listening I started to get light-headed...reportedly, I said something like, "I don't feel so good", before passing out...then the stool rolled out from under me and my head bounced off the emergency room floor.
Nothing says caring concern like coming-around to the view of your sister laughing at you from up on the hospital gurney.
What can I say? I've watched too many hospital shows and I've borne three children; my imagination has a vast library to draw upon, in detail! This time though, the Dr. made the preemptive strike of picking up my daughter (who had just started getting her cast applied) and ordering me over to the table. They finished casting her arm while I was flat-out on the table with my head lowered and my feet raised.
We celebrated by decorating her non-colored, non-swim-friendly, cast with colored Sharpies.
Halfway through her arm's one-month term the cast started looking a little rough around the edges.
Halfway through her arm's one-month term the cast started looking a little rough around the edges.
Literally, rough around the edges.
I learned early on that we needed to be vigilant with cleaning her fingers - especially in between. SQUICK!
Finally, the day came when the cast would be removed. Cast Away Day (which confused a friend that does a lot of sailing - he wanted to know where we were going)!
We returned to the scene of the crime! While waiting for the doctor to return I convinced E3 to let me snap some final pictures. She was reluctant- probably because of the condition of the cast.
A mystery stain by the heart I drew.
She moved in this next one, so you can't see how the fiberglass was chipping away up at the tippy top...or the general filthiness of the palm of the cast.
I wasn't too concerned about a repeat of previous events. Nearly everyone we spoke with, who had also had a 'cast experience', talked of the STANK of a newly removed cast. Her cast was already growing smelly - built in smelling salts for any moments a delicate flower like myself might get the vapors! No worries though, I held it together with no trouble.
See you later cast-igator.
I learned early on that we needed to be vigilant with cleaning her fingers - especially in between. SQUICK!
Finally, the day came when the cast would be removed. Cast Away Day (which confused a friend that does a lot of sailing - he wanted to know where we were going)!
We returned to the scene of the crime! While waiting for the doctor to return I convinced E3 to let me snap some final pictures. She was reluctant- probably because of the condition of the cast. A mystery stain by the heart I drew.She moved in this next one, so you can't see how the fiberglass was chipping away up at the tippy top...or the general filthiness of the palm of the cast.
There was even grubbiness up by the elbow area.
I wasn't too concerned about a repeat of previous events. Nearly everyone we spoke with, who had also had a 'cast experience', talked of the STANK of a newly removed cast. Her cast was already growing smelly - built in smelling salts for any moments a delicate flower like myself might get the vapors! No worries though, I held it together with no trouble.The doctor took E3 to a sink so she could give her arm a preliminary soap wash, and we were out the door...with the advisement that she shouldn't put any weight on it for another two weeks because, "If she trips and catches herself with that hand? It'll probably pop."
I was very close to begging for another cast.
Instead, we celebrated with Happy Meals (conveniently located next to the Dr's office), and headed home to a Daisy Scout meeting, and (FINALLY!) a shower (after a month of baths) with a shower poof!
See you later cast-igator.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
My Own Little Col. Nathan R. Jessep
This afternoon, as E3 was preparing to do her homework, I noticed yesterday's math homework still in her folder...
Me: Oh, did you forget to turn in your math homework?
E3, dismissively: No. We had a Sub. today.
Me: ???
E3: She wouldn't have known what to do with it.
Me: Uh, yes. She would have. You should have turned it in today.
E3: (grimace)
She wouldn't have known what to do with it? What is that?
My mind has already morphed to an imaginary confrontation between her and the Substitute Teacher a la A Few Good Men... "You can't handle the homework!"
Me: Oh, did you forget to turn in your math homework?
E3, dismissively: No. We had a Sub. today.
Me: ???
E3: She wouldn't have known what to do with it.
Me: Uh, yes. She would have. You should have turned it in today.
E3: (grimace)
She wouldn't have known what to do with it? What is that?
My mind has already morphed to an imaginary confrontation between her and the Substitute Teacher a la A Few Good Men... "You can't handle the homework!"
Thursday, September 09, 2010
Last Day Of Summer Vacation
The day before the girls started school we made a quick trip to the St. Louis Zoo. E3's arm was still in a splint waiting for a cast, but she was comfortable and it hadn't really slowed her down so I figured we may as well carry on as planned.
This boulder they're sitting on is a water feature at the North entrance that has brass 'critters' worked into it. I forget how many there are - a docent once told me, but it has frogs, bugs, snakes, mice, turtles (one eating a snake!). I don't think we've ever walked past it without them climbing on it.
E2 wanted a picture of the map after she pointed out that the zoo is shaped like a shoe.
We visited the Sting Rays and just missed their feeding time. We did get to pet them though, and that little one at the top of the picture is only 15 months old. Awww, Baby Sting Ray! That's what you hear when you're with three girls, "Awww!"
There was a docent near these birds, but I don't recall what any of them are. She mentioned that when this particular bird flaps it's wings people always assume it's preening for their cameras, but she thought it was the bird's way of cooling off (it was really hot the day we were there). I told her I do the same thing only I call it "cooling my pits".
Breezy!
Look at the talons on this guy!
There are two turkeys that roam in the Children's Zoo and they're remarkably friendly. Oddly enough, they seem to be at their most relaxed state while watching the river otters.
There was a new addition since the last time we visited the zoo. E1 and I were convinced this one was stalking us. We called it Stalker Chicken.
Hedgehog!
Hungry Hungry Hippo!
Stalker Chicken! After seeing him cross our paths several times, E1 followed him to his hiding place...where another chicken was sitting on a nest! He made funny growling noises at me while I took this picture. Growling Stalker Chicken.
Aside from entering the penguin exhibit, a chilly 60 degrees, this is the best way to catch a cool breeze on a hot day at the zoo.
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