So, of course, after writing my post about tree climbing, an activity which has gone on for years with total success, we had our first mishap. Boy oh boy, was it a doozy!
Elijah fell out of the tree while climbing on Monday after school. Two hospitals, lots of x-rays, cat scans, and an overnight hospital stay later, he's back home with a broken wrist and a fractured frontal bone on his head. He's got a temporary cast (til Tuesday when he gets a longer one) and one heck of a shiner. His other wrist may be injured too, we are headed back to dr in the am to find out.
He handled it all like a trooper. I'm pretty sure I would have cried through that eye exam he had today with that swollen eye but he was a total champ.
We were so lucky! No surgery, and it could have been way worse.
His sweet class at school made him get we'll cards today. Warning: if you're prone to hormonal tears the following pictures could be hazardous.

Some people don't shop on Black Friday. Some people kick it at home with the kiddos and the dog. Maybe climb a tree with them.
Yeah. Some people are cool like that.

This year we had preschool feasts

Kids who stayed at Mema's house and their aunt Lisa took their pictures

Little boys wrapped in blankets who said sweet stuff to their mommas on Thanksgiving morning

Lots of good food and relaxing after the meal.

Hope you had a great Thanksgiving if you celebrated and if you're not from "round here" hope you had a good Thursday!

This Thanksgiving, you might find my list of things I'm thankful for to be a little weird. That's okay, though, I'm good with weird.  Here goes nothing!

Things I'm thankful for 2012

1. Broken Promises
I once had a high school sweetheart. Man oh man was I head over heels for that boy! One Saturday when I was in 11th grade he took me to a local coffee shop and gave me a diamond ring with a promise. That he would one day ask me to marry him.  That event never did quite come to pass. In fact, when we got to college I was, a bit unceremoniously, dumped. Looking back, I can see it never would have worked. At the time, I was just shy of devastated. Now, with Steven, and my 5 boys, I'm so so thankful that he made the choice he did then. Know what else? We're friends now. He's got a sweet wife and 2 adorable daughters.

2. Speech and Language Delays
Two of my sweet boys have had speech or speech language issues. What this means for me, is that I've met some really wonderful people who do speech and developmental therapy with children.  I'm amazed at how quickly certain things are overcome by my children with their help and I'm so thankful with their ability to put me at ease regarding their development.  Though the two of them have some speech/language/development delays, the testing and services have shown that their cognition is "through the roof" which, let me tell you, is awesome to hear! These ladies have been wonderful. I <3 them.

3. A "Difficult" Childhood.
Don't worry, I'm not gonna complain! In fact, don't tell anyone, but I really thought my childhood was kinda normal til I got older.   Anyway, it really puts into perspective what a "real" problem is for me and I spend WAY less time complaining about non-important crap (unless I'm searching for blog fodder, haha) because I always know it could be WAY worse.

4. I Was Not an Only Child
I love having a big family. I could never have been prepared for the five hooligans at my own house if I hadn't been involved in shenanigans with my own hooligan siblings for most of my life.

5. People Who are A-Holes
Because all the people who are not, seem way more awesome in comparison and I appreciate them so much more.

6. The Time I Rolled My Car on the Interstate
Boy on boy, have you ever seen your life flash before your eyes?? Well, I didn't either, but I do remember thinking to myself, "Man, I really loved this car too".  The vehicle was less than a year old, I hit a patch of ice, my wheel jerked sideways and hit a dividing wall and then I rolled over.  The amazing part? No one behind me hit me and I walked away from that incident without a single scratch or visible bruise. My seat-belt did its job, I climbed out the sunroof, and I knew without a doubt I had been protected that day.

7. Financial Difficulty
Not being able to have anything I want, anytime I want it, forces me to be glad for what I have when I have it. And I know that it can be gone tomorrow so I should just enjoy it while it's here.

8. Bulb Syringes
Any parent knows the value. I won't go into detail.

9. A House that Looks like a Tornado Came Through it
This means we have enough clothes to wear and toys to play with, and that we have enough food to eat to keep our dishes dirty.

Happy Happy Thanksgiving!

I'll let you guess who fought about what.

Whose turn it was to take a nap

Someone was copying someone else

What to drink with supper

Who got to sit in the front seat

Who got to sit in the middle seat

Who got to sit in the back seat

Who fed Poncho last

Who these pants belong to

Who this shirt belongs to

Who owns the ipod Thomas got for his birthday

Who gets to sit by Mom

Who put the laundry in the chair in the living room

Whose turn it was to go to Mema's this weekend

Which layer of the earth dinosaur fossils are found in

What drink will be had with supper

Who left the Envoy unlocked

Who left their clothes on the kitchen floor

Where are __________'s shoes

What are some recent arguments at your house?

A very short while back I won a prize from a fellow Xangan, @Zanyzeal.  It came in the mail this week. It has brought some continued and unconventional joy into the household, and I'm sure that wasn't even part of the intent.

It's a journal and a pen to write in it with.

I have to say, I LOVE it. It is so stinking cute and pretty and I found myself torn between wanting to write a bunch in it and then getting really picky about what was "worthy" to go in the journal.

My oldest, Alex saw it laying on the counter and he casually picked it up, turned it over in his hand and said, "Sooo . . . a journal . . . . for you to write your personal thoughts in??? Okay then." and then he sat it down and walked away. I was cracking up.

Also, that cool looking pen, is not just any pen. It's a Bic for Her pen. Steven and I laughed and laughed because if you're not aware, there has been some controversy over the Bic for Her pens. As soon as the product was released on Amazon, people began to leave totally snarky comments, which of course, I love.  If you'd like to read some, go here.  Then, last week I saw this clip from the Ellen Degeneres Show. We have laughed and laughed. So, needless to say when Steven and I realized there was one of these pens in the package, we were SO happy.

Also I have to say, I sort of LOVE this pen! Despite all the snarkiness about it, it really is the coolest girly pen ever. I totally love it.

So, thank you, #Zanyzeal for the cool gift, AND for the accompanying merriment that followed.

13 years ago, Steven and I argued about having a baby. I wanted one SO bad. Everyone around me had babies. We were still in college. The timing wasn't right. But that didn't ease the want to.
Eventually, he caved. My Mema said, you'll never graduate college now. But you know what? I did. And you know what else? My baby is awesome. And 12. And I wouldn't trade one minute of it.

My sister in law, Lisa took these pics today. I love my Alex.

Whenever I hear any Fleetwood Mac song, I feel like it's the early 80's and I'm at a laundromat with my mother.

Thomas's two favorite songs we hear on the radio right now are Pontoon by Little Big Town and Blown Away by Carrie Underwood. He sings with them, which I just love.

One of the top 12 on The Voice right now is from Arkansas, go Cody!

My reading glasses for work are red plaid.

I'm out of the good lipstick colors and I'm stuck using the "second string" of my collection until I get more. Why did I buy these dumb colors anyway?

I got teary eyed at last week's episode of The Walking Dead.

Isaac was sitting on the edge of what used to be the trampoline yesterday and fell forward off of it and hit the side of his head on the deck. He's okay but for a few minutes we debated whether or not it might need stitches. We decided no, but I bet he'll have a little scar there. It got a big goose egg under it but then it went down.

I woke up to find the toilet in my bathroom had overflown all over the floor and into the shower room.

My coworker and I take turns hiding this gold deer in each others offices. I'm rather proud of where I hid him this time.

I got a coffee this morning on my way to work. Someone else texted me later asking if I felt like a coffee this morning. I said yes and then threw away my empty cup from earlier so I wouldn't look like the coffee glutton I really am.  Don't judge me.

This whole week is Thomas's week to help his pack with the flag at school. Today was the only day I was able to stick around and watch the process. I thought I'd get a couple snapshots for the old photo album or scrapbook, you know?

I gotta tell you, there's just something about seeing your own child raise the flag at his school.

He didn't even take off his backpack, I thought that was kind of funny.

They were so serious about it, he and his packmate, Grant.  I like to think they were considering the brevity of raising the flags, but it most likely had to do with just trying to do it right.

They just did it and went to class. I stood there a second, looking at the good ol' USA flag and the Arkansas State flag. I think it may have meant more to me than it did them. That's okay, I'm a mom, I can handle that.

There's just something about boy scouts raising the flags. It says, look, this is the next generation of those who will love and defend and run this country.
Tomorrow starts today.