Bike Wreck

I'm sure you can tell from the title what this post is about so no need for introduction.

On our short bike ride this evening, when we were about 4 houses from home, Maria took a nasty fall and landed so that the bike was on top of her and she couldn't get up. I was there within seconds - I was biking several feet behind. No one is sure how it happened, but this is by far her worst fall off of a bike to date. Even though she was caught up in the bike, her left knee took the worst of the fall. She was crying pretty hard and bleeding, and I told Sam to just bike on home, that we were OK. I calmed her down and she was able to walk her bike back to the house, but she was still alarmed by the blood - her entire knee was covered. We got her inside and cleaned up, luckily there was no gravel pieces inside the cuts. Once we got the blood out of the way, we could see that about 4 inches of her knee was cut - some places deeper than others but the entire area was at least scraped. So we got antiseptic sprayed and went to bandage it, at which point I realized that we are almost completely out of gauze pads, and band-aids won't work - it is just too big of an area. I was finally able to find enough gauze to get us through tonight, but am going to have to run to the store tomorrow morning.

Once I got her fixed up and on the couch, she complained of a stomach ache and was shaking. I assume it was from the adrenaline rush when she fell. So I gave her the puke bowl, some Sprite, and Duckies, and we cuddled for a few minutes. Once her stomach felt better and she was done shaking, then the pain started to really bother her, so I gave her some Motrin. It was approaching 9:00, and I needed her to be able to sleep. By bedtime she said it didn't hurt anymore, and we fixed her up on her little couch in her room to sleep - she didn't want to climb up to her loft.

Things had been going so smoothly since Ben's been at band camp this week. It was definitely rough without him being here to help tonight - to run out to get more gauze, to convince me that I was dressing the wound correctly (he's the one with first aid training!), and to give the second child some attention. Sam was so neglected he decided that a bump on his head from this morning was hurting and he had to get out of bed to have it iced again. Why should Maria be the only one with special attention?

Anyway, once again I am glad that I am not a full time single parent!

Favorite Thing

This afternoon we returned from my parents house where the kids and I had been staying since Sunday. We go up there every year while Ben's at band camp and its a great opportunity for the kids to spend time with Grandma and Grandpa.

Last night Mom and I both agreed that this year was a fun and easy visit. The kids are finally getting old enough that we can do lots of different activities, and Sam does not meltdown nearly as much as he used to when Ben was away. Just one little fit about his refusal to drink milk - even though that's a rule at home.

Anyway, tonight at dinner Sam was asking each of us what our favorite part about our trip was. This is something we do often, but Sam is the one who makes sure we do it every time we go somewhere. (He even asked me on the way out of the movie yesterday what my favorite part was. Difficult to answer - if anyone else out there has actually seen Space Chimps you'll understand why!)

Anyway, here were the answers to our favorite part about the trip:

Maria: I liked the bumper boats and miniature golf.
Me: I liked the bumper boats too since I have never done it before.
Sam: I liked that Wipe-Out show we watched last night. That was the best part.

Oh the money I could have saved if I had known all he had to do was stay inside and watch Reality TV! Not to mention, he doesn't seem to know that we could be watching that show here, too.

The picture is the three of us in the bumper boats - thanks to Dad for taking the great pictures!

Ice Cream Truck

We have been spending a few days in Geneva with my parents while Ben is at band camp. Last night the kids were playing outside when we heard an ice cream truck driving up the street. After I explained to them that it was an ice cream truck, they were in awe that kids can just go out their front door and buy an ice cream from a van that brings it right to you! Living in the country like we do, they had never experience this before. We had already planned to go out for ice cream later with Grandma and Grandpa, so I told them that we weren't going to be able to buy anything right then. If it comes again while we are here I'm going to let them get something - its amazing how such a simple thing can make them so happy!

Zoombezi Bay

We're getting to the part of the summer when we realize there are still several things we haven't done yet that we had promised the kids we would do before school starts. Today we were able to cross one of those things off the list by visiting the new water park at the zoo, Zoombezi Bay. It used to be Wyandot Lake, then the zoo bought it and it was closed for an overhaul last summer. Some of it is still the same, but much of it is improved.

The kids compared it with Great Wolf Lodge, since we were there over spring break, and the vote was that Zoombezi Bay was better. It was crowded, though, and Ben and the kids had to wait an hour to go down one of the large water slides. And even though they said the slide was worth the wait, after that they didn't want to go on any of the others slides. We all enjoyed the Lazy River, and the kids also liked the kid area with small slides, water works stuff, and all sorts of other things to play on. Ben and I were able to lounge in chairs while they played there, which was nice.

By late afternoon it became overcast and cool, so we were able to get the kids to agree to go home without any complaint. We have no pictures, since we were wet most of the time there was no place to store a camera!

Bad Idea

At the fair tonight, one of the kids' favorites rides was called the Musik Express (although it played no music). The ride went around in a circle, up and down a couple of hills, really fast. While waiting in line, we discovered that you had to be at least 52 inches tall to ride, or ride with an adult. Maria was tall enough, Mason and Sam were not. I was with Ben and Andy at this point since Lisa was on another ride with Lindsey. Both men "can't do circle rides." Wimps. So I rode on it with both boys, hoping I wouldn't feel too bad when it was over. Maria had to ride with other kids she didn't know, but was fine with that.

The first half of the ride was fine, even fun. Then it stops. And goes in reverse. Quickly. And it just keeps going and going and going. When I got off and all the kids said "Again, again!" I said I couldn't do it. I didn't feel too bad but was dizzy. Lisa and Lindsey were back by then, so Lisa went on it with them. Then we took them to some other rides.

Later, when each kid only had one ride worth of tickets left, we asked them what their favorite was to ride again, and of course this was the ride. I was feeling better so I said I would go. And didn't think I felt bad. But now that we are home and the kids are in bed, I'm sitting here trying to watch T.V. and the room is spinning. And the longer I sit here the worse I feel. I think I have learned my lesson. But at least the kids had fun.

Fun at fair rides

This evening we are at Union County fair and the kids are enjoying themselves on the rides. Maria, Sam, Mason and Lindsey are having a great time.
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A Musical Observation

After listening to Do-Re-Mi from the Sound of Music movie several times in the car yesterday, Maria commented "I can't believe how much she sound like Mary Poppins!"

Back-to-School Shopping

In years past I have always put off back to school shopping until August, after Ben's back from band camp. I just can't handle facing going back until I absolutely have to. But I have realized that waiting means that the shopping trip is rushed, stressful, crowded, and some of the stores are actually out of some stuff, or at least the selection of folder designs, etc. are pretty picked over. So this year we went early - a combination of those reasons plus going on a mini-vacation in August has made me want to get some of the back to school stuff done early.

This morning I took the kids to Target with lists in hand. Sam's list wasn't bad, but Maria's was a mile long. After a hour, we were able to get everything, including lunch boxes and a separate pair of gym shoes that each child needs for gym class, which stay at the school all year. What makes the trip so time consuming is the supplies each child needs that go to the classroom - like wipes, paper towels, band-aids, paper cups, Ziploc bags, etc. I have no problem donating these items, being a teacher myself I know how expensive it can be for a teacher to buy those things for herself. But it means that after we get all the the usual school supplies, we have to go all over the store to find the other stuff. Which isn't as fun to buy, and the kids have lost interest by then. But I will not go on the worst shopping trip of the year and not come home with everything - I want it done!

But the kids were really very good, the store was pretty empty, and we were able to get it all done. We also had Sam look at toys to come up with birthday ideas, which took forever. He was acting as if these decisions were life or death. I thought he would be asking for everything he saw and I wouldn't be able to keep up writing everything down, but the opposite was true - he couldn't decide on anything. It reminded me of shopping with my Mom and my sister when we were kids, and Wendy could never pick anything out. Finally Maria and I got so hungry for lunch we told him we were done and we could look on Amazon from home.

Back to school shopping is done. And we are $130 poorer!

Style Review Details

I know Ben posted Maria's awards last night but I wanted to give a few more details.

Maria's category - Ready, Let's Sew, was about two thirds into the program. Since the runway was just in an outdoor pavilion on the fairgrounds, you really couldn't hear the scripted information about each person as the walked down the runway. Ben and I decided it wouldn't be worth taking video of since you couldn't hear anything. But when I saw her walk, I wish we had gotten it on video. Complete confidence, posing with her hand on her hip and swaying when she walked. Dolly, my friend who we were sitting with, asked if we had practiced at home. The answer was no - I had never seen her walk like that. But it was so cute.

Then the awards. Maria received an outstanding for her Skill-a-thon for the Beginner class - there were about 20 people in that class. About 8 girls got outstandings, then they gave 1st, 2nd and 3rd place among those finalists. Maria got 1st place, and she was thrilled. Her good friend Lily got 3rd, which was nice as well. The first place finish came with a $25 cash award, which was unexpected but very appreciated. Ben and I emphasized with her how all of that hard work and studying had paid off.

Maria also got an Honorable Mention for the actual skirt. Again, she was thrilled and I was surprised - when Rita and I helped her put it together I know there were some flaws in the construction. In her category, there were about 3 Honorable Mentions, 3 Outstandings, and one of the outstanding awards were chosen as the representative for State Fair. Lily had an outstanding, and another girl from Maria's class at school was chosen for State.

All in all, a successful evening and a great first 4-H experience for Maria.

And a special thanks to my Mom for the phone advice on the pattern, and Rita for all of her help putting the skirt together. We could not have done it without you!

Fashion night at the fair

Maria received an honorable mention for her skirt and an outstanding on her skill a thon. She also received first place in her skill a thon and won $25!
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