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. 

 

Covid

 

Well the good news is that Norah has rollerblades

The bad is she got it because she is quarantined all month. Brent brought home Covid. It went around one of his dealerships. 

Colin had woken up with strep throat and Joel was all blocked up and coughing. Our doctor did a telehealth appointment because she was out of town and then wanted to follow up with the boys when she got back. 24 hours after antibiotics Colin was feeling fine. Joel was almost fine but I kept their appointment just to make sure Joel didn't have strep as well.  Years ago Colin had a sore throat and then didn't mention it again so I forgot until weeks later when his neck was full of swollen lymph nodes. 

So at the doctors she checked Colin and he was fine and then said Joel didn't have strep, she said it was more bronchial but because of that she wanted to do a covid test just to rule that out. And he came back positive two days later. So our doctor put us all on Ivermectin and supplements. By then Joel was feeling fine and running around the house. Brent, Joel and I got it. I got it the worst but it really wasn't that bad. Just felt like a bad cold. I've been sicker before with other things. All Brent had was a runny nose and scratchy throat but he hears daily how he gave us all covid. It really wasn't that bad.

Because Norah and Colin didn't get it they have to be quarantined for 24 days. They are making the most of it and we are now in single digits of them getting out. It has helped that its been raining a lot. Then you want to stay home and don't want to go out. I don't think they are getting it by now. The high school nurse calls every day checking in to see if Colin has any symptoms. Colin wishes he had gotten it because then they would've been out in 10 days. It all seems so backwards to keep the well quarantined while the one who were sick can leave. 

We will be glad to flip the calendar this year. 

Ski/Snow Tube

We had only booked one day lift tickets. Colin wishes it could've been more. And maybe next time we will get longer lift tickets. Brent and Colin left early to hit the slopes. We were going to meet them for lunch and then Joel, Norah and I went snow tubing. 

We hit the pool and hot tub in the morning. We were the only ones there. I do like the covid limitations on people. I sorta hope those stay around. 

All morning Brent kept sending pictures like this.

Norah had to do a little school before we went tubing. The joys of homeschooling. She is also learning multiplication facts and wants to get them all memorized soon. 

Last year when we went tubing we had to wait in a long line to get a tube and then ride the lift to the top and then wait again in a long line. This time we all got our own tube and kept it the entire time. There wasn't that many people so we went down as many times as we wanted. It was great and spoiled us for future tubing trips.

Joel was even brave and went down head first a few times and loved it.

Colin LOVED skiing. He also convinced Brent to go down a few black diamonds. A few times it was accidental they claim. He is ready to go back. I am a little glad he has already experienced a broken bone so he is a little more cautious about falling. 

Norah wanted to go back at night and ice skate with me. 

 It was a great trip. We should've stayed a little longer. The kids want to live somewhere it snows all the time. I kept reminding them that we have the beach and people come to us for vacations. For now we will settle with driving to the snow.