Blythe Has Surgery

For some time now, and perhaps from the beginning, Blythe has had a little lump on her belly right above her bellybutton.  I have wondered what it was, but we had a couple of doctor's visits without mention of it, and I didn't worry.  At Blythe's two-year well child checkup, Dr. Lauret not only noticed, but referred us to a pediatric surgeon to get it fixed.  She has an epigastric hernia, which will be an easy fix.

Here is a picture of Blythe's belly.  Brandt is pointing out where the hernia is which is evident when looking at her, but invisible in the picture.

Belly avec hernia.

So I had two pictures of the kids here, one showing Blythe's belly and the other showing Brandt's.

Thing is, I was getting a lot of traffic from this post, and I can't figure out why.

When I clicked on the link, it came up with the picture of Blythe.

Makes me a bit edgy.  

I don't want to think of people looking at my daughter in an inappropriate way.

The picture was totally innocent, but I don't know what else it could be.

So no more picture.

And here is Brandt who wanted a picture of his belly too, because that is only fair.

Belly sans hernia.

No picture of Brandt either.

The fix happened today.  It was a very short procedure and Blythe did very well.  We had to wake her at 5:30 to get to the hospital, but she was very cheerful, even at that early hour.  She just beams.  She was very patient as the nurses took her temperature and blood pressure, and when it was time to give her the versed pre-surgery, she opened her mouth and took it like a champ (she always does).  Versed doesn't taste very good, however.  After swallowing it she said, "Ew."

In her hospital jammies as she is getting ready for her surgery.  

She was happier than she looks in this picture and actually liked the jammies.

The surgery itself took about fifteen minutes and Blythe recovered well.  The first half hour or so after she woke up was a bit rough.  She cried and didn't know what she wanted, kicked and screamed when we wanted to get the jammies off and her diaper changed, and fought like a banshee when we put her in her car seat.  Kent and I both had to fiercely restrain her.  She cried for the first ten or fifteen minutes of the drive home, but eventually fell asleep as I whispered sweet nothings to her, and slept the rest of the way home.

Being snuggled by her bestest Dad in post-op.

Within an hour of being home, Blythe seemed completely normal and unaffected by the surgery.  She ate a good lunch, took a three hour nap (hey! she was up at 5:30), and then was right as rain.  We went to the grocery store in the late afternoon to pick up a couple of things for dinner, and Blythe got out of the cart and jumped down the aisle, literally.  The only evidence that she had anything done is the bandage in the center of her belly which is supposed to stay on for a week and is going to fall off tomorrow.  We are so happy that everything went smoothly, that she seems to have no pain, and that the hernia is taken care of and will give her no problems.

Rocket Man

Our across the street neighbors, the Cases, have a water rocket.

Is there a boy alive who could resist such a contraption?

Mine certainly couldn't.

Is the unbridled delight as evident to you as it is to me?

Working it with the feet and the hands.

I took these shots well away from the "action."

I ended up wet anyway.

The cascade of water that rained down after each launch.

As soon as Kent got home, he was enlisted to participate.

He got wet too.

And where was Blythe during this exciting activity?

Busying herself in our yard, far away from the water.

Well, she did traipse around in the water a bit, but on the opposite side of the street from Brandt.

Mostly she blew bubbles.

When she couldn't get any bubbles to appear, she informed me, 

"No works."

The Appeal of the Forbidden

Brandt and Blythe wanted to make sand pies this morning.

Brandt carried a small bucket into the downstairs bathroom and wanted to fill it with water.

We had to go run errands, so I told him the pies would have to wait.

Brandt thought otherwise.  

The children disappeared.

The house fell silent.

I went looking for the mess.

I found it upstairs.

As sink water was apparently "unavailable," the children found the next best thing.

Yup. That's the small bucket with toilet water.

On the floor too.  

Gross!

And while Brandt was working on filling the bucket with germy toilet water,

Blythe was getting into the dental hygiene basket.

Why do they always get into the things you want them to stay out of?

A Day with the Animals

"Take your children to the zoo.  They may make you an offer."

Even if they made me an offer, could I possibly accept?

We went to the zoo today with Tysen and her children (less Lyla who stayed home with her dad), plus Lacey, Andrew, Cooper, Mark, and Ty.  It was a lovely day--hot and sunny.  Tysen's children were fairly whiny, cry-y, and bad.  In contrast, my children were exceptionally well-behaved so I didn't get a single offer for them.  It's a wonder Tysen didn't have multiple offers for hers.  I think the monkeys would have rejected them as too wild.  We did ride the train (Brandt's favorite part of the zoo) and the carousel.  This was the first time both Brandt and Blythe rode an animal, but it happened by default; someone else sat in the peacock chair before we got there.  They liked the gentle up and down motion.  

Cooper, Andrew, Mark, Griffin, Blythe (with her back turned), and Brandt

Katherine, Crew, Brandt, Ava, and Blythe

We had to sit in the back.

Brandt is getting ready to call, "All aboard!"

We also watched the elephant "show" where zoo trainers come and talk to us about the animals.  The baby elephant was extraordinarily cute.  I think my baby boy was pretty cute too.  He walked up and down the aisles saying, "I work at the zoo," telling people the elephant show was starting soon. If Brandt adds zoo worker to his list of future jobs, he will be a zoo keeping maestro who drives PUS (that's UPS at our house) trucks on the side. 

Romping in a Canyon Park

The sun is still out, the weather is still fair, and so naturally we had to go up the canyon and play.  Being in the canyon has become the activity of choice.  This week we went to South Fork.  We took cousins Ava, Griffin, and Crew, and Mikayla and Guy joined us too.  We kicked around a soccer ball, we threw rocks in the river, we wadded.  Guy ran around with the children--a lot.  We played and played and had a marvelous time.

Griffin, Guy, Ava, Brandt, Crew

Throwing rocks in the river

That Guy. What a guy!  

He helicoptered all the kids and ran and ran and ran around with them.

He seemed to have as much energy as the children.

Look at that cute couple!

I sure do like these people.

Blythe, Griffin, Crew, Brandt, Guy, Mikayla, Ava

Our funny girl wanted to put her feet in the stream, but then it was so cold, she couldn't stand it.

The boys and the girls.  How did all the boys end up in navy blue?

Pictures of little people sitting on me.

Green beans

Yesterday I took the children across the park to a community garden in our neighborhood.  Although we have had nothing to do with the garden, our own garden being along the front walk, our neighbors have had a bounteous harvest and offered us green beans.  Blythe loves green beans so I didn't want to pass up the opportunity to have fresh beans to eat (and maybe can or freeze).  There were three long rows of beans and I was told I should take all that were available.  

So we went off to pick.  The children's interest in picking lasted approximately fourteen and a half seconds, and then they were off to explore the rest of the garden and the adjoining yards.  I was in for the duration.  It took me all of about six and a half minutes to realize how grateful I am that I am not a migrant worker and that my job every day isn't to harvest fruit and vegetables.  I was bent over the rows of beans, looking under leaves for the veg, and I was quickly aware that there is no comfortable way to harvest food growing on the ground.  Bent over my back began to hurt, then my hips, then my knees.  I tried several positions--knees bent, legs spread apart, legs close together, crouched down--none of them felt good.  Although it wasn't a particularly hot day I almost instantly had sweat dripping off the end of my nose as I was bent over, and I began to wonder if the beans, as fresh and lovely as they were, were worth it.  

I picked until I reached the end of the rows and I came away with two grocery sacks full of beans.  Today I drizzled some with olive oil, smeared them with garlic, salt and peppered them and then roasted them on high heat in the oven.  Delicious!  They were totally worth my reaping efforts.  But I think I will look at the produce I purchase in the grocery store in a different light from now on.  Someone, likely a poor someone trying to make his or her life better, went to a lot of effort to bring that lettuce, beet, squash, or parsnip to my plate.  And I rejoice in the bounties of the summer, the fresh produce that seems to overflow local fruit and vegetable stands as well as our own garden in the front yard.  Such yummy, yummy eating.

A funny joke or two

We had cantaloupe for breakfast this morning (as well as pancakes that Brandt helped me make).  Whenever we eat cantaloupe, Kent tells the following knock knock joke.

Knock, knock.

Who's there?

Cantaloupe.

Cantaloupe who?

Cantaloupe tonight; Dad's got the car.  (Or should I type that "Can't elope tonight; Dad's got the car?)

This got us going on knock knock jokes.  I told the following:

Knock, knock.

Who's there?
Ida.

Ida who?
Ida like to come in.  Will you open the door?

We told a couple more and then Blythe joined in.

"Knock, knock," she said.

"Who's there?" we replied.

"Ida," she continued.

"Ida who?" we asked.

Then, with a face o'er spread with eager anticipation that we were going to laugh, she said, "Ida come in!"  

Boy did we laugh!  It was hilarious.  She told a joke after only one hearing!  She loved it, we loved it, we laughed and laughed.  

Shortly thereafter, while I was getting ready for church, Kent, Brandt, and Blythe were watching Clifford.  Emily Elizabeth and her fellow classmates were putting on a talent show and two boys were doing a comedic sketch.  Three jokes were told, each of which Brandt found more hilarious than the previous.  Here is the schtick. 

Man (boy with a fake mustache) in restaurant: "Waiter, what is this fly doing in my soup?"

Waiter (another boy, without mustache): "It looks like the backstroke."

Brandt giggles.

Man: "This soup tastes like glue."

Waiter: "It must be the tomato.  Our split pea takes like paint."

A slightly louder giggle from Brandt.

Man: "Waiter, take this soup back to the cook."

Waiter: "Why, he won't eat it either."

Brandt dissolves in a fit of uncontrolled laughter.  Then he insists on rewinding it so he can see the whole scene again.  Three times.

Although Kent and I found the jokes amusing as well, the children are certainly far more entertaining.

Utah County Fair

Five fantastic Fair finds.

One miniature steam train one small boy was super intrigued by.

Both the children wished they could have a ride.

Two darling children who were delighted to be at the fair.

Three prize winning chickens Blythe wanted to "pet."

Four sheep Brandt (but not Blythe) was brave enough to pet.

Five pink pigs.  Blythe was so worried about them she didn't even want me to take a picture.

They don't look very scary to me.

Here are some other pictures from the fair.  

 

A garage sale

On Saturday we had a neighborhood garage sale.  I spent the week sorting through the basement looking to get rid of stuff we never use, I don't want, and which is taking up space.   I made a good dent and and was happy to be hauling things into the garage to sell late Friday night.  The sale on Saturday was a success even if we didn't move all our merchandise.  We did get rid of a large filing cabinet that needed to be refinished and was taking up lots of space, and I was glad to pack up what didn't sell to take to the thrift store Monday morning.

We did, however, acquired a rather large train table my friend Heidi was selling.  She offered it to me several months ago because she wanted to get it out of her basement and she knew Brandt would love it.  He plays with it every time we go to her house.  I, too, knew Brandt would love it, but we have no place for it, so I said no.  On Saturday, I worked pretty hard at keeping Brandt otherwise occupied so he wouldn't see it and realize it was for sale, but I was not entirely successful.  Brandt saw it, complete with lots of trains and track, and he called me over.

"Katherine! Come here!" he called.  "This train is only $7.  Do you have any money?  Can I have it?"

Of late, Brandt has been calling me and Kent by our first names.  It is somewhat unsettling to have him call me by my first name, even though it is my name.  It would be more unsettling if he was calling me something other than my first name, like Ruth or Jan or Tiffany, but still, I think I should just be "Mom."  

Anyway, the train set was actually $75 and the train table another $75.  I explained that the problem was not with how much the train and table cost, but that we had nowhere to put it.  Brandt began to cry.  He said, "I love it.  I want it," as he sobbed into my chest.  He continued, "We could put it in my room."

"There is no room in your room."

"We could put it in the family room," he sobbed.

"No, there is not enough room there either."

"Please.  I love it. Sob, sob, sob."

He cried the cry of the broken-hearted.  He was going to be devastated if the train table went to live anywhere else but our house.  So I did what any mother who loves her son would do.  

I bought it.

And so we put it in the basement in the space I had cleared out when I hauled stuff up to the garage to sell.  Instead of making a dent in the contents of the basement, we acquired a really big table and a whole bunch of train and track.  And instead of making $160 at the garage sale, we made $60.  (Heidi gave me a deal.)  And instead of having a heart-broken son, I have a happy engineer who spent the rest of the afternoon in the basement driving trains around.  He said goodnight to them before he went to bed, and he said good morning to them when he woke up.  And if I can keep him and Blythe out of the rest of the stuff in the basement that they shouldn't be into, I will also have someplace to send the children to play when I need three minutes peace as we now have enough trains that Brandt can share.

 

Post edit: The children have gone downstairs every day to play with the trains.  This helps me feel better about the money spent.  However, in addition to playing with the trains, the children get into things they should not be playing with--toothpaste in our emergency supplies, the glue gun, nails and other tools, Otter Pops, clothing, and Primary supplies.  Every day I have a new mess to clean up.  So I question whether I have gained anything through the purchase of the train table, but I don't suppose that was really the goal.