Labor Day Vacay

We have lived here for 6 years now and never ventured over to see beautiful Charleston. Our entire family is really looking forward to this 3 day getaway with friends. I know, I know, summer just ended so how can we possibly need a getaway? Trust me, we do!

Poor Jason has 3 grants due between now and the first of October and has been going crazy working on them. I am in full project completion mode and I feel the impending doom (did I say doom, I meant birth) of our newest family member. Between being the Fall Festival Chair at our elementary school, Primary President at church and working to save up for maternity time off, I too could use a weekend getaway.

PS- I don't know exactly what "where history lives" means and I doubt that I'll find out on this trip. Our prefect vacation is one where the only goal is to spend some time at the beach. We can't wait to enjoy the time together as a family!

Cutest Bag

So maybe Ava didn't need this for preschool but it was so dang cute that I would have bought it even if she hadn't particularly cared for it. It turned out however, that she is in love with this bag and has taken to bringing it everywhere! She currently has it filled with her Littlest Pet Shop toys, a magnifying glass and a panda bear. I think you'll agree that she looks tres cute sporting her tote!

First Day of School

So hard to believe that another summer has whizzed by and that we have begun the 1st and 3rd grade with Kate and Jackson.

They are both still young enough to look forward to school and their excitement was contagious. Despite the excitement, of course I still teared up when I hugged Kate goodbye. Some things will never change!

Jackson was playing it 3rd grade cool but I know that he secretly wishes that I'll come by for a visit today. :) Last night I was talking to a friend and totally freaked myself out when I realized that he'll be going to college in 8 years! How can they grow up that fast? It really isn't fair!

Surgical Experience

On Friday, Jackson had a dermoid cyst removed from the top of his ear. He has been anticipating this for months but unfortunately, the anticipation did nothing to calm his anxiety about the procedure. Over the course of the last 4 months, he has asked me hundreds of questions about how it would feel, where he'd be, what it would look like, etc.

For an adult, this simple procedure would probably have constituted a visit to the doctors office and some local anesthesia. No biggie. Because children are much less predictable in their reactions to procedures though, the plastic surgeon puts them all under general anesthesia. Jackson's surgery was scheduled for 2:30 pm and because he was going to go under general anesthesia he couldn't eat for the whole day. (He actually did pretty well with that even when his sisters were eating their soft pretzels and icees in front of him.) We made it to the hospital and through pre-op but then hit a little snag in the plans when they informed me that I couldn't walk back with him to the operating room. Some ridiculous policy about not allowing pregnant women in the OR because of the "anesthesia gases". Ummm, seriously? Are there no pregnant nurses, surgeons or techs in this hospital? Are they having mutant babies? And would 5 minutes in the OR put my unborn child at such a risk that there is a strict policy? I digress... I was most sad that I hadn't been prepared for their policy because Jason was at work and nobody else was with us.

When they said that I couldn't go back with Jackson he started to tear up. Thankfully I was able to calm him down and he bravely walked along through the OR maze to his room. I too felt like crying as I watched him walk alone. On the way home he confided in me that he was scared when he was waiting for the sleepy medicine. Of course he was scared! I told him that I am scared every time I have to go to the OR to have my babies. I told him that he was so brave and that seemed to make him feel a lot better.

It's hard to tell what his ear will look like because the steri-strips are blood tinged but hopefully it will be just fine. Jackson's only complaint is that he can't go swimming for a whole week! In my opinions this was perfect timing for the surgery because Dynamo swim team starts next Monday and school starts this week. Speaking of school, stay tuned for first day of school pics tomorrow!!!