Nine

This sweet little girl is now 9.  Its hard to believe and as Colin pointed out only 9 more years until she is 18. Time slow down please!

She is our constant burst of energy. Never staying still for very long. She can go outside and roller blade for hours and then want to go for a run with me. She constantly wants to play with friends and anytime she sees a kid out in the neighborhood is begging to go and play. 

She is a very hard worker and loves to just plow through her school work quickly so she can go outside and play. Unless Joel is home. When he has a quick break zoom she will be quick to stop and go jump on the trampoline with him for a few minutes. 

She loves organizing and cleaning the house.  That part of grown up is fantastic.  

She is always making a fort in the family room.  It will stay up for days and has lots of fun inventions as she calls it in the design.

She is very caring and is always thinking of how words or actions would make someone else feel. I think that is why she is so loved by so many of her friends. 

For her birthday we woke Colin up early because Joel had school and Norah didnt want to wait until night to open her presents.  Norah got a day off of school for her birthday. The perks of homeschooling. 

Then we went to the mall to do some shopping.  It was raining/sleeting  so all the other outdoor activities we were thinking of doing were closed. 

For the past 2 years she has begged and begged to get her ears pierced.  Most of her friends have already had their ears pierced and its really not a surprise for my accessory loving child.  We almost let her get her ears pierced at Christmas but decided to wait.  

At the mall she decided she was ready so I said yes.  Surprising both her and I! I'm not sure I'm really ready for this part of growing up. 

She did it and was so proud of herself.  

And since then her mother has cried a little because my baby seems so grown up all of a sudden. She was more than ready. I realized that I was not as ready. She is thrilled and has been taking great care of them and cant wait to be able to change them out to match her outfits. 

Happy Birthday sweet girl! We love you! 

 

Leprechaun Trap

 In third grade Joel made a leprechaun trap in school and was determined that Norah would make one in third grade too.  According to legend if you trap the leprechaun he would grant you three wishes.

They tried their best but that sneaky leprechaun got away.  Maybe next year...

Norah has been learning her multiplication facts and when Colin was in 3rd grade he had an ice cream party at the end.  Each timed test they earned different parts to the ice cream party

0s - a bowl

1s - a spoon

2s - 1 scoop of ice cream

3s 2 scoops of ice cream

4s - sprinkles

5s - hot fudge

6s - caramel

7s- fruit

8s - cookie dough chunks 

9s - gummy bears

10s - m&ms

11s - donuts

12s - brownies

Norah worked hard and we let Colin join in. I was making the boys take their timed tests but gave Colin a pass since he cant write very easily. We did it on a day Joel was in school so he wouldn't feel left out. 

Whale Watching

A few weeks ago we got to go whale watching with Norah's girl scout troop. 

This is the extent of the whale sighting.  Apparently this whale wasn't very hungry and didn't come up much for air.  

 On the way back to shore the wind had stopped and the sun come out and the rocking of the boat caused a lot of the girls to fall asleep.  

I think we decided we would stick to dolphin cruises but it was a fun experience and a great afternoon on the water.

Right handed

Colin has been sleeping upstairs on the pull out couch because with his cast he doesn’t fit on his twin bed downstairs. So Norah decided to sleep in Colin’s bed so she could practice having a sleepover. She tried it once a year ago and I ended up meeting the other mom halfway at a Kroger parking lot to pick her up at midnight. So I was putting Joel and Norah to bed and sitting on the floor between the beds. They kept complaining how hot they were and wanted every fan on. The boys usually sleep with 3 fans blowing on them. I told them I was freezing and if they wanted a fan on I was leaving. Brent came in and also said it was too cold for a fan. 

Joel leaned over me like I wasn’t there and loudly whispered to Norah, “I think right handed people must have a different view of the world.” 

Brent and I are both left handed. The kids all right handed. 

 

Here we go again

So the day Colin left quarantine he had a flag football game. Brent took him early and I came later with Joel and Norah. We are running a little late and as I’m pulling into the parking lot Brent calls and tells me not to come in (you had to pay for each person entering the stadium) Colin had fallen and hurt his wrist. Let me tell you this mother paid the tickets and went in! Colin said it didn’t feel like the last time he broke his wrist and might’ve sprained it. He had ice on it but I had the medical trainer look at it and she said she was concerned so off we went to get X-rays. 

That bend isn’t normal. 

Definitely broken. This boy has been through a lot the past 18 months pain wise so this really didn’t bother him as much as it should’ve. 

The hospital put a splint on it and a few days later we went to get his cast.

8 weeks he will have to wear this cast. Then a brace for 4 weeks. We go back weekly to make sure his bone doesn’t move as the swelling goes down or he could end up with surgery. 

The cast is more impressive than his last one. He said his elbow is already starting to itch. 

Sarah sent him this shirt.

The orthopedic office said they really didn’t want to see us back so soon. Ha! I asked if Colin was breakable or brittle. They said the way he has fallen each time the breaks are normal and just bad luck. Colin plays with so much heart and gives each play his all. 

He was supposed to go back to school this week in person but I’m keeping him home for the remainder of the year. He can’t write or carry any of his books. Last time he had people help him but can’t with all the covid rules. So now I sit with him and take notes for him.  I’m more impressed with these kids doing virtual school. It’s so boring and just not the same as normal school.