Say it isn’t so…

Summer, over, really?

I don’t like the idea of this.

So I am going to proclaim that it isn’t over, nope, not really.  Not yet.

We still have stuff we want to do.  So much more fun to be had!

So what if they are “in school”.  I will just pretend that it is just a practice run until our summer fun is really over and done.  (Well, more like when the weather doesn’t shout summer at us anymore.)

Sunday night, we slept out on the trampoline, you know, one last “hoo-rah” before bedtime becomes nazi-ish again. 

(And when I say “we”, I really mean just me and the girls.)

We attempted this in July, the night of the 5th (really our 4th what with the real fourth being on Sunday and all..) but a little rainstorm somewhere around 3 in the am cut out night out on the trampoline short.

This time, I was going to have all our bases covered.

- good weather (check)

- mosquito repellant (check)

- plenty of cushiness (check, check, check, check)

- sprinklers off (check)

Or so I thought on that last one.

4:30 am I hear the combined gush of air and water and then one drop, that was all it took, right on my forehead.  I was up faster than I have been in a long time, running back into the house, out to the garage, and turned that water off!!

It was pleasant sleeping after that.

Well, until that period of time, right before dawn, when I would swear to you it gets its coldest.  I wasn’t sleeping too well then.  I wished I’d had my socks on then.  So instead, I curled up in a little ball, snuggled close to Peyton’s warm little body and fleece blanket, and all was better.

Yesterday evening was back to school night.  We knew exactly what we were going to get with Ash’s teacher, and we were ALL very excited about that.  Lynn was a little nervous about her teachers.  There was a last minute switch to her teaching line-up that left my already nervous daughter that much more.  I think some of her fears were put to rest after meeting them.

We came home and had family home evening.  We talked about prayer, that the girls can always go to their Heavenly Father in prayer, whenever they need help.  Even if it is while they are sitting at their desk and need help.  We also talked about the priesthood, how it blesses our lives.  Merrill then gave them each a father’s blessing to start their year off right.

Peyton was so excited, she even got one too.

That is a tradition I cherish.

Then there was last night.

Sleeping (or trying to).

In our own beds.

At a nazi-ish time.

I don’t know who slept worse..  me or them. 

Third grader..  times-tables and cursive?  Really?!  Good heavens, I had to buy her a flash drive as part of her school supplies.

And then there’s the first grader.

I will miss her terribly come 11:30.  She will have lunch, at school.

It is a happy time of life.  It really is all good…

But it sucks that summer is over.

I promise I am laughing hysterically inside..

And outwardly at moments too.
Last night, we had our own little horrific moment at the Pitcher household..
It was after family prayers.
Peyton has still had a touchy little tummy, and yesterday, after two diapers that resembled something more like dirty water rather than the regular, stinky poo, I had to warn Merrill that swinging her, upside down, might not be the best idea.
"But look at her!! She is loving it. She doesn't seem sick.."
"She throws-up, YOU clean it up."
My simple warning went unheeded.
I was in the hallway, right outside the girls bedroom door, giving Ashley a breathing treatment (yes, it is that time of the year..) and Merrill was in the doorway, swinging the time bomb.
All in less than a minute, there she blew... just like a swinging fountain.
With each swing, she covered a different quadrant of the immediate area.
IT GOT ALL OVER.
All over Ashley.
All over Merrill (he totally deserved it). I got to take the newly cleaned pants BACK to the cleaner today..
All over the floor, both carpeted and hardwood.
All over.
Ashley began crying, "She got me!!" like she had just been shot in a drive-by.
Poor Peyton kept gagging, back on her two feet, on solid ground. She gave a little shudder because some had gone up her nose, she was upside-down after all.. poor thing.
I was having a little pity party, because the newly cleaned floor, and barely bathed children, needed another cleansing.
And guess who got to do the cleansing.
The third child in my brood began to wail as well, as soon as I reached for the nearest absorbent object, Lynn's pink hooded bath towel.
"MY PINK TOWEL!!! Not my pink towel.. oh no!! I can NEVER use it again.. IT'S RUINED!!" Sob, sob, soooobbbb!
It was quite dramatic.
The two youngest were re-bathed, and the older of the two, sent to bed. I went up to the loft with poor little Pey, her sippy cup full of ginger ale, ready to cuddle and recover from this traumatic experience.
Only to re-live it two more times, but not quite as bad.
With another bath, and a priesthood blessing (I am SO thankful for that!), she was finally able to find rest, until midnight when she woke up.
She was restless, and I snuggled her back to sleep, fearful that she would wake up for round three, she and I stayed up in the loft for the rest of the night.
Three am came with a still restless Peyton waking up and crying for a drink. I put it off, not wanting to upset the gods of vomit, but gave in. She quickly chugged more than half of the cup, and was back to sleep.
As I lay, not quite sleeping, but very tired, I ran through the events of this last week, trying to add it all up. I realized that she hasn't had very many wet diapers the last few days, and her eyes weren't looking very good either. Fearing but trying to have faith in the blessing Merrill gave her, I settled on taking her to the doctors if she had another horrific diaper today.
She did.
But thankfully mom was the babysitter, and she got to deal with that. :)
I got to deal with the laundry. :(
The doctor noticed my eyes first, they are more red than white these days, Visine is my best friend, and he questioned (and teased) me about that, then we got to the main issue.
Let me take a little tangent and tell you how the nurses seemed to be so haunted by the events across the way at the InstaCare..
Swine Flu is upon us.
Scary.
Basically, he believes she has a virus, and isn't worried about her being dehydrated, showed me other signs to look for, and sent us on our way.
I sure hope this ends soon.
I think I am starting to smell like vomit.
I just might throw up myself if I think too much about how much our little field trip cost us today...

I can finally talk about it!!!

Our sweet Pey...It has been a month now that we have been dealing with a little stress concerning our littlest one... I haven't said anything on my blog, well not anything that is public :)... mostly because I know that so many of you are going through so much more... my trial and worry is like a feather in comparison to the boulders others are bearing these days. But it has been my worry... I also didn't want to say anything until there was a resolution in the matter...
It all started a month ago at Peyton's 9 month well-child check. The doctor was checking her hip joints and he heard a click in her right hip. Worried that it could be hip dysplasia, he sent us to the hospital for ultrasounds. (A blessing there was that we could go to McKay, not Primary's, because there was a new, pediatric radiologist who had just started there in July.. we didn't need to make the journey to Primary's.)
Many prayers were said, her name put in the temple multiple times, and a priesthood blessing the night before she was to go in for the ultrasounds.
Well, her bones had already ossified so that meant the ultrasounds wouldn't render the results sought after... X-rays were in order (which I would suggest giving out as inexpensive gifts this holiday season... they were only $13.66! I might just go and get one myself! ;P...). I watched as the X-rays came up on the screen in the radiology office, and after a week of looking at many pelvic X-rays online, everything looked fine... symmetrical, no gaps, her femoral heads were in the hip sockets... but, of course they wouldn't tell me anything. I had to wait for them to give the results to the ordering physician, my doctor.
A day later, he called.
"It's just as I thought... mild hip dysplasia in her left hip..."
"Left hip?.. you were concerned about her right hip."
"That's right! It was my left hand that her right leg was in... that's weird. So there's a click in her right hip with nothing to show for it.... Her left hip does show signs of mild hip dysplasia. Her left femur is turned 2 degrees outside of normal range (more test results read...)... you'll have to go to Primary Children's to see a pediatric orthopedic surgeon to see if there is anything that should/needs to be done."
The results to a Google search were scary. To see what treatment options are out there... casts, braces, harnesses, surgery... my sweet little girl who is on the move and enjoys every stinkin' minute of it! To think of her stuck in a cast, brace, or bed... it tore me up. But as my mother said, "Don't iron your clothes until there are wrinkles in them..." I have been trying not to think of what "could be". But how big a deal could 2 degrees be?
So we've been waiting, trying to live faithfully, keep busy so our minds don't go to that... I have felt pretty good about it though.
Here we are...
Last night I was praying big time... there was supposed to be a snowstorm moving into the valley this afternoon. I prayed, even though I really wanted the snow, that it would hold off until after our appointment. I prayed that no matter the outcome, everything would work together. I prayed that she would be happy and calm. In her priesthood blessing this morning given by her most awesome and incredible dad, the guy I am so blessed and downright lucky to be married to, he blessed her with that same thing... and that the doctors and nurses would be able to do those things that would enable them to see that nothing was wrong. She had a healthy and able body.
No snow falling from the skies this morning as we left. We got there, no big deal. I honestly felt so guilty walking through the halls of that hospital, seeing so many sick children, and here I am with my perfectly healthy child... and I am worried about hip dysplasia?! Her appointment started with a new pelvic X-ray... and then we saw the surgeon.
He saw NOTHING WRONG with her hips. NOTHING...
"Even if there were still that 2 degree difference, I would recommend that she walk. That's how you best get things where they need to be. And since she's already walking..." and Pey was yukking it up with him the whole time. The flirt. Cheesing it at him whenever he'd look at her. Laughing when ever he'd move her legs. Yep.. she was happy and calm.
As for that "click" in her right hip, he said it was a ligament that was tight over her hip right there and when you move her leg, it just snaps. He called it "silly"...
Blessings!!!
We left. Thankful.
We live so close to such an awesome children's hospital. They have an incredible staff of people who truly love and care about children.
To have those people...
So many prayers were heard and answered in our favor!
No snow!
She was happy and calm.
I was able to find the place...
We have the priesthood.... in our home!
We can go to the temple to find peace.
Prayer...
She is fine...
The first flakes of the expected snowstorm began to fall as I was on my final stretch of the drive home, coming up "the hill".
Blessings.
I have many angels in my life... you have shown up or called at just the right time. I love you all!!
But I am most grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who never ceases to bless and amaze me with his never-ending love... His most awesome blessings!

Peyton Update...

Took Peyton to the hospital, after Mer blessed her, and the ultrasound wouldn't do what we wanted it to, her bones have ossified. So we were sent to x-ray. To me, they looked symmetrical and normal. The report states, that she has mild dysplaysia of the left hip. The left?! Huh?! Her right hip is fine, her left femur is turned out two degrees past the normal range... too much. Everything is the right spot. Just that femur is slightly turned.
In December, on the 15th, we have an appointment with a pediatric orthopedic surgeon at Primary's... ugh... I pray that it will be something that is no big deal, or that those two degrees will be gone, a mistake?
Katie Ronnow (Davis) was my angel the other night. I had kept so busy, trying to not think about what was coming the next day, and while I was making dinner, the radiology department at the hospital called. It was fore-front. Not going anywhere. How was I going to deal with that all by myself. I went downstairs to get on the internet to distract myself. Blog surfing does that... no less than 10 minutes later, there is a knock at the door. I open it, and there she is, card and mint m&m's in hand. The put them in my shocked hands, and threw her arm around my neck.. "It's going to be alright." I burst into tears. It was all one motion it seemed. What a sweetheart!
I pray that everything really will be okay. Again, I know that there are others who are going through so much more, but this is MY hardship and MY trial right now...

We have a kindergartner here!

Last night we said family prayers, then Merrill gave Lynn her first back to school Father's Blessing. It was such a great blessing! He said things that even I didn't think about! She was so cute afterward. She kept hugging and kissing him, thanking him over and over. Then Ash hopped in the spot where Lynn was sitting and said, "My turn now!" So she got one too... then we all went to bed, and had kind of a sleepless night... well, all of us except the person who you would think would be tossing and turning...
Then we woke up this morning with a Kindergartner in our house!
She had the breakfast of champions, Barbie cereal and lemonade...
She took a good bath, had a small struggle to comb out all that hair, and then she picked out her outfit...
She was so excited!
She didn't want me to walk her in, so I just watched from the car, and then cried as Merrill drove away.
I did have an excuse to go back and see her, she forgot her bag of school supplies in the car.
She and Ash both went on and on about how much they would miss one another... let's hope we can all cope...

Here's the "DL"...

What a weekend!!! Had the funeral on Saturday... The primary kids did so well, although I have never heard "I am a Child of God", sound so sad. Randy did a great job! It was amazing how he got through that feat. All-in-all it was a very emotional day. It definitely gets you thinking about priorities. I was already having a hard time, then, when I went to leave the church, I could hear the bagpipes playing for him up on the hill... they always get me. Maybe it's the Scot in me... There have been so many blessings because of the events that took place one week ago.
I have decided that I want to be a scriptorian ( when I finally grow up...). My mom is so knowledgeable in the scriptures. I could call her anytime this last week with any question, and she knew the answer. I want to be just like her. I bought a little notebook, Peyton Green of course, and that will be my special place to write down what I learn. I want to be able to help my kids one day too. I should school myself better.
Yesterday was such a beautiful day. All went well getting ready for church. Got there a little early too!!! Ash went to her class and stayed there!!! Lynn read the scripture, no problem. It did help that I bribed them both with gum.
The blessing was awesome. Merrill always does such a good job. I prayed the night before and even that morning to have my mind calmed, to have questions that I have had about Peyton answered. Those prayers... He always answers them!
I missed Grandpa & Grandma Wallace. Grandma keeps getting worse, and when she is better, it is never as good as the time before she got bad. Grandpa didn't want to leave her side. I did make coconut cupcakes just for him... I sent some home with mom. I heard he was so happy to get them. I love my Grandpa!
Sophie lost a tooth last night. Lynn was a little freaked out. She now doesn't want to lose any teeth... Today, I spent the day doing laundry, making some headbands, with Brooke's help in cutting and turning pieces, sorry for the raw fingers! I don't have Lynn and Ashley's finished, and I still have buttons to sew on them, but here's Peyton's... Brooke also took some good pics of Pey in her blessing dress. I tried last night, she would do nothing but cry. I did get her all posed and cute, then Ash had to jump at her, get in her face (or "bace" as Ash would say it,) and scare her... that darn kid (Ashley, that is...)!