Graigry Breaks his arm

Boys will be boys.

We went to what I like to call, "The park that Eric built" for a family home evening on May 13. We walked to the park; it's only four streets over and then did a little park pick up and then let the kids play.

All was well until it was time to go. We were telling the kids to stop and it was time to walk back. Graigry was swinging and decided he'd try to fly. Others in my family say that I told him to jump. Jump he did and he landed on his right arm. He got up complaining/crying-ish that his arm hurt. His watch was broken, so someone picked that up while Graigry walked over to Eric.

Eric and I figured he was over reacting, had a bump and would be fine. Graigry showed Eric his arm. Eric held up the arm and I saw the wrist with a defined 'U' shape in it.

"It's broken. Go get the car." Eric's face was slightly shocked, yet stern and going into emergency mode. Aurora and I ran as fast as we could back to the house, got the insurance card, grabbed the keys to the gold van, and headed back toward the park.

We met the rest of the family within about two blocks. Graigry's arm was in a sling created with Eric's Mesa College sweatshirt. I gave Eric the insurance card, they got into the car and headed toward Community East Hospital and the rest of us walked back home. I called Matt Dunahee to meet Eric there in order to give Graigry a blessing.

After about an hour, kids were in route to bed, Matt came over to the house and told me to go to the hospital. I told him I was fine. "Go be with your son. I'll stay with the kids 'til you get back." So I went.

They had cut his school shirt off of him and had an IV for pain. Graigry was doing just fine. The nurses said that he was very brave and hardly cried. It was almost 9 (I think) before Graigry got the ice pack and sling and release to go.

After wrapping it up, we were told that we would need to call the orthopedic surgeon in the morning to schedule an appointment for Thursday or Friday. They would do "surgery" which was about a 10 minute procedure to reset the bones and then cast it. There would be no swimming for about 8 weeks (which made the little man unhappy). He did not have an easy time sleeping the next three nights as his arm was hot and he couldn't get comfortable with a sling around his neck. I felt for the poor boy.

He got his cast that Friday morning.

I let his teacher know what had happened the night of the break. Apparently there were classmates lined up to help Graigry with his classwork while he was in the sling. He was excited to learn to write with both hands. I helped at home with some longer writing sentences.

He seemed to do okay, accept with the no swimming part, especially when we finally had the pool up. Once we wrapped it in plastic bags, but that leaked. Another time we...

Olympic torch arm!

...duct taped it after plastic bagging it. It took about 10 minutes to get it all "waterproof" and then the little man was only in the pool for about 15 minutes and water still found a spot to seep through. Before he and I started ripping and cutting it off, I told him we weren't putting it back on and that he would be done swimming for the day. Graigry said he was done. Apparently, his fingers or a combination thereof, were getting squished (imagine that!) and the tape was digging into his arm when he bent it.

Thankfully he was able to get the cast of on the 18th of June, not too long into summer. We joke about not jumping out of swings with all the kids. I wonder what the next ER visit will be for and with which kid. :)

Assorted Scott Shots

As I went through the camera chip, I found various pictures that didn't correlate to any particular event, but I want to put them up for "posterity." Graigry took the pictures of Nate and Nate may have taken the pictures of Graigry.


Best brothers!

"Now where did I put that Lego?"

"I wonder where MY Lego went?"

Don't pull too hard, your ears will come off!



 

I will be watching you!

It's Goggle-Man!

Dad sent a water rocket to us for Christmas; something that he used to play with when he was a kid. It took us a few months to finally break it out and try to use it. It took us a few tries to figure it out, but when it worked, it was fun! Xela took these pictures, which means I was able to be in one!

 

Rocket is loaded and ready to launch.
It had to be primed with 20 compressions before pulling the trigger.

 

Mommy had to try. If it was primed sufficiently,
the rocket would go about 15-20 feet in the air.

Something we've just started doing, is playing baseball in the backyard. We have a toilet tank lid as home plate and then two pieces of scrap wood for 1st and 3rd bases. Second base is the swing set. We've had a lot of fun playing baseball, individual teams usually. Occasionally it will be two against two. Nate is pretty good (we always thought he would be the jock of the family). Here is one shot of a game in motion.

The first game we played was GREAT!! We used the blue bat that you see in the picture and a squishy ball. Xela's plan to get on base was to smack the ball down in front of the plate and run. She got pretty good at it. When the ball did get it, it didn't go very far. The next game we used a different ball, like a ball crawl ball, and that worked better.

Aurora is FINALLY 12!

When you are eleven, you can't wait to turn 12. You are then old enough to go to all the Young Women activities at church. You get a later bedtime. And you're that much closer to being an adult (why are we in such a hurry to grow up???)

Aurora asked several friends to come over for a sleep over on her birthday, but being summer time, schedules are hard to coordinate so only one friend was able to make it. They swam before I got home and after some home made pizza, we watched "OZ: The Great at Powerful." Then it was present time.

Aurora & Moira awaiting the opening of presents

Opening another saran wrap present from Grandma Hibbert,
young women value jewelry.

GOGGLES!!
They are a must have for this year!

Opening Moira's present:
Doodle book and color pencils.
Aurora loves to draw, color, sketch, etc.

While I was at work, Eric and the girls made the cake. I hadn't heard how Aurora wanted it decorated. When I got home, there was a round cake in the fridge with green frosting. I thought the frosting job was well done. After the girls decorated it, Eric asked if I had fixed his poor green grass frosting attempt. I don't know what was wrong with it and the cake turned out perfect as frosted.

The girls used Legos (a favorite cake décor item) to make a Hunger Games scenery cake. It was quite well done by Xela and Ro. Here are the front and back view.


Katniss and Rue are hiding in the tree
(You'll have to see the movie or read the book;
it's too long to explain in a caption.)

The happy birthday girl!

There almost wasn't enough room with the scene and the size of the cake to put the twelve candles. Aurora enjoyed having a friend over and staying up until midnight (a VERY rare event at our house). 

Neta Turns SIX

I've been saying Neta was 6 for a few months, and she's been correcting me. FINALLY, I'll be right!

Our next door neighbor and friend, Amber Ault, had a little princess tea party for Neta and two of her friends around lunchtime. Honestly, I was a little jealous that I, as the mom, couldn't do that for her, but I had to work.

Neta & Aurora went to Amber's house and
helped make pink cupcakes for the tea party.

The Princess Party Place

Reaction to seeing the Princess Party Place

Princess Neta

Princess Neta & her pals Natalie & Aiden



Pretty Pink Princesses
begin their food festivities  

Ready to partake!

Pouring a little more pink lemonade.

Curtsy, if you please.

After the tea party, Neta played with her friends until I got home from work. Eric had a fire and the grill running so we had options for hot dogs and burgers for family. I had made a sad looking cupcake castle for a birthday cake. After real food, we did cake and presents.

My sorry castle cake.
Next time I'll do more than look at the picture
and try to figure it out. The directions were very simple
to follow if I had just read them.

Birthday girl & her cupcake castle.

 

I wonder what her wish was?

New swim & shirt from Grandparents Hibbert

What could it be????

LEGO FRIENDS!!
This is a favorite at the Scott house.
We have an entire Lego town with the kids' creations
that have taken over the upstairs hallway space.

 

Grandma Hibbert is a professional when it comes to
saran wrapping presents.
Under this plastic is a webkinz horse that has become Neta's
favorite Black Beauty to sleep with.

My youngest is six and going into first grade. I say this at every birthday, but I can't believe how fast time flies. I only hope I can be and do enough so my kids are prepared to face the world when it's time to let them fly all on their own.

Sprinkler Fun!

I probably should have put these pictures up before the pool pics, but oh well. At least they are up, right?

Eric, Xela and Graigry were at the church for cub scouts and young women. It was hot and the pool wasn't quite ready to go (thus this is a little out of order) so I told the kids at home to get their suits on and they could play in the sprinklers for a few minutes before bedtime prep. For kids that turn into fish in the summer, this little bit of water play was much needed.

Sprinkle. Sprinkle, little hose.

Nate likes getting sprayed in the butt with the sprinkler.

 

Ro looks like she is going to do a cartwheel.

I think Nate is getting shot in the face.

Graigry is about to soak someone with
a sponge ball full of water.

Last year, we had no pool and because of the drought we couldn't have the sprinkler on either. This year is SOOO MUCH more fun for my little fishies!!

Let the Scott Summer Begin - POOL'S UP!

The liner went in much quicker and simpler than the last time we put in a liner. Eric wanted to make sure there was sufficient water in the pool before letting kids get in and splash around. This frustrated the kids as they remember getting in, the last time, when there was just a little amount of water, and running around, kicking water and splashing each other.

Finally they were able to get in. Graigry had to be more cautious with his arm/cast as that wasn't supposed to get wet. I wrapped it in a Wal-mart bag and then a garbage bag and put some duct tape around it. Some water still found it's way into the wrap and his cast got a little wet, but not too bad for playing in water (and for not having wrapped the cast as well as I probably could have).

Daddy is the Watering Squad

I love Nate's facial expression!

Making sure the other end of the pool works.

My water babies!

Without enough water to help lift her, and no ladder, Neta was trapped.
"Please help me out, Mom."

A game of tag, maybe?
Or just enjoying the first of many summer swim times as a family.

So far this summer has been a cool one. I think we may have gotten into the 90's once. Even so, the pool is a wonderful excuse to bring family and friends together on summer afternoons. Bring on summer splashing!!

2013 - Pool Prep

Last year we didn't have a pool and it was frustrating for the kids, especially after a long days work at the duplex. With our museum pass expiring, and knowing Mom would renew it, I asked her if instead of the children's museum, she would buy a liner for our pool. She talked to Dad and they agreed to help get a pool underway.

We ordered the liner and it sat in it's box for about a month while we got the dirt floor prepped and pieces ready to assemble the 15 x 30 summer fun spot.

First Eric and I dug trenches to put the piping for two bottom drains. Kids helped pull some of the weeds that had grown. Once we got the pipes and drains in place, we had to cover them with the dirt and added sand.

Everyone lending a helping hand or foot.

We had to even out the dirt, which meant removing some out of the pool. We added sand to, hopefully, help the pipes not freeze underground during the winter. Evening out the dirt took some time, but we eventually got it done.

Calf deep in mud, trying to compact things a bit.

This side got a little too much sand added as it didn't stiffen up as well as the other pipe sections. It took us a few days, but the piping, drains, and dirt bed was soon ready for the underlayment and liner.

Our Nate weight.
Kids took sides & "corners" to hold down
the underlayment while Eric & I trimmed it.

Putting up the liner.
It went a lot quicker and smoother than expected.
THAT was a very good thing.

Once the liner was up, it was fill time. That took about half a day with two hoses. See the next entry to view the pool progression pictures.