Update on Rissa

Rissa is doing better. No idea whether she actually broke it or not. Since it's not displaced and she can breathe out of both nostrils they didn't do an x-ray. There is nothing they can do if it's broken so they're just letting her be. The swelling and bruising got pretty bad through. Here's her one day after the accident, right before we left for camp.

Brian sent me a picture 2 days into camp, one he'd taken on the crappy camera in his digital phone. I could not believe how much worse the swelling and bruising got. She was bruised all around her eyes and her cheeks and with the swelling she looked pretty bad.

The good news is that she is doing better now. Still some bruising that hasn't gone away but she's breathing well and it's not hurting anymore.

Now hopefully she's learned her lesson and will be riding with her eyes OPEN from now on.

Not again ...

Just when we're recovering from our run-in with the deer Carissa is hit, yet again, with an unseen accident. She was riding her bike and didn't see it coming. Literally. She didn't see it coming because SHE WAS RIDING WITH HER EYES SHUT. I fail to see the reasoning for this. I fail to see the use of discretion here. Then again, she's 6 and ultimately short on discretion. Thus she finds herself riding with her eyes shut and slamming, full-force, into the back of a parked car. Brian and I heard her yells immediately. As soon as I got to her I saw that her nose was already swelling. We took her in the house and applied ice then called the advice nurse, who explained in detail all that we should do - stop the bleeding, ice it, give ibuprofen, prop her up to sleep. They want to see her tomorrow, after the swelling has gone down, to check to see if it's broken. I'm hoping that it's not. I'm hoping that it's just badly bruised and swollen. But I have a feeling that won't be the case. I'm sick just thinking about it. Sick thinking how, yet again, my daughter is suffering from trauma to her face. Thankful that she was wearing her helmet and that her head was protected but sick that her nose took the brunt of the impact. Keep your fingers crossed and good vibes coming our way because we could really use them about now.

It's a bit hard to see in the photo, but you can see a linie on the middle of her nose where she hit the car. The swelling is on both sides of her nose right above that line.

July is almost over ...

... and thank goodness for it. It's been a busy month.

Start off first with the good news - Violet is back. She was missing for 8 days and one morning she just showed up here at home. The kids were all thrilled. A week after she came back we spent 1 night away from home and she left again. This time she was only gone 3 days though. Maybe she's finally realizing that we will return.

So, what have I been up to? Camp, camp and more camp. I went with Tristan to Cub World for 3 days worth of Jedi cheesiness. Did I just say that? I hate to say that about a scout camp, but the whole Jedi theme was just so over the top and cheesy. Maybe the kids thought it was great but after 3 days of it I was SOOOO ready to come home. Add in the overwhelming stink of KYBO (like outhouses but worse ... absolutely rancid when it's 85 out) and I was DONE. I did however manage to secure yet another year of camp (4 years in all) without visiting the KYBO. It's worth the hike to the one and only flushable toilet at camp. Trust me on this one.

Honestly though, we did have some good times. It's great to have some 1-on-1 time with the kids and this was Tristan's first time having me to himself for 3 days. I laughed my butt off watching him go down the slip and slide. I helped him shoot his BB gun and bow & arrow. I cheered him on when he was on the BMX track. I nervously watched him whittle for the first time. We made a robot together and I took part in their Jedi ceremony. Lots of fun. Here's a few pics from our time together.

Of course, I'm only home for a total of 6 days and then I leave for 6 more days, this time at Chase's scout camp. Yipee. (Can you hear the sarcasm???) At least it's at the beach. 6 days of soaking up the sun, frolicking in the waves and hanging out on the sand. Who am I kidding? It'll be 6 days of sleeping in a tent, hiking to the nearest flushable toilet and having sand in all the places you don't want sand. The good news is that I will have my dear friend Tammy with me. We always make a good time of it.

While I'm at camp I'll also have my good friend Harry with me ... Harry Potter that is. I am hitting the store bright and early Saturday morning to secure my much-awaited copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I can't wait! Chase and I will be fighting for it, I'm sure. But while at camp he has a 10pm bedtime. Ha ha. Guess what I'm going to be doing when he's tucked in his bed? LOL

Anyways, I better hit the hay. Got lots of packing to do.

Time has gotten away from me ...

This happens every time summer comes around. I think about how much free time I'll have, how much less volunteering, how much less time running kids to and from their activities. Yet here we are 3 weeks into summer and I have yet to make a dent in anything. We've kept plenty busy with all of our activities. Here's a rundown of some of the highlights (and lowlights) of summer so far.

THEATER AND GYMNASTICS CAMPS

The kids all took part in a camp the week after school got out. For Carissa there was gymnastics camp, where she had fun each day playing on the gymnastics equipment, doing crafts and listening to stories.

The boys did their most anticipated event of the summer - theater camp. This was Chase's 3rd year and Tristan's 2nd year (next year Carissa will be old enough too!). They had a GREAT time. The play was "The Secret Garden" put on by River City Childrens Theater. Another awesome performance.

Chase was a gardener and was so thoroughly into his character. He wasn't trying to out-perform everyone else but he did because of his sheer intensity and excitement. He absolutely shined.

Tristan was a red-breasted robin. He had his lines memorized the first day and was excited about the songs he was learning. He looked so adorable in his robin costume with a little extra red added to his already cherry cheeks. He did such a great job and had lots of fun! PACIFIC CITY HERE WE COME

I got an unexpected check in the mail one day. $250 for some layouts I had published in a scrapbook magazine. It was fun money so we decided to take a trip to the beach. We'd heard about this little RV park that had cabins for rent and wild bunnies running free so we decided to give it a try.

I remember Pacific City from my childhood. It's a little bitty town off the main highway, one that I've visited only once or twice since I've grown. We got there and instantly were enthused by the bunnies running around. The kids kept counting how many they could see. It was fun to see them so excited. I got close to one but only Chase and Tristan actually had one take food from them.

It was such a beautifully calm day. The sun was shining and the wind was almost non-existant so we headed across the street to the beach.

When we arrived there I was instantly transported back to childhood days, days spent running up the massive dune and rolling back down in the sand, of watching trucks driving on the sand and launching the dorys right into the water. The scene today was much as it was then. Fewer dorys perhaps, but the dune was exactly the same... until I tried to climb it. That was another story.

The kids climbed that dune though ... all the way to the top. And you know who was first to reach the summit? Carissa! And in her dress! I was so proud of her. She just booked her way up that hill. It's so steep near the top that you can't walk standing up but have to use both your hands and feet to get up. I was amazed how quickly she did it. The boys both made it all the way to the top too. I was so proud of them all. I only made it 1/2 way up but loved running down. You get going so fast that you're out of control but I refused to give in and fall in the sand, as I had my camera to protect. I ran all the way down laughing all the way. What fun!

We spent a lot of time at the beach playing. They kids splashed in the waves while Brian and I walked the beach. Then Brian taught them how to wiggle their feet way down into the wet sand. It was a great evening.

We spent the night at the bunny place and then headed to the Tillamook Cheese Factory where we had some scrumptious ice cream and my favorite treat of all - chesse curds. YUM! We drove up the coast on the way home, taking our time to stop at the beach to fly kites and again in Seaside to ride the carousel. It was a relaxing, leisurely visit to the beach and one we all needed and loved.

VIOLET IS MISSING

Our sweet kitty Violet has gone missing. We saw her before we left for our night at the beach and left food and water out for her to munch on. The neighbors saw her that same night yet when we arrived home the next afternoon she was nowhere to be found. The kids are all very sad and we've made "missing" signs that we put up in hopes that someone would bring her back home.

BECKY & BRANDON ARE MOVING

I'm increadibly sad that some of our best friends are moving.

Becky and I became friends when we were pregnant with the girls. We met on the internet (scary, I know! LOL) in a group for mothers due with babies in February 2001. I first met her in December of 2000 at my baby shower and since then we've become great friends. Our kids are the same genders and similar ages, we got along very well and our husband even like one another.

It's been harder and harder to see them over time, as they live about an hour away. It's become harder still with both Brian and Brandon living away from home recently. But nonetheless she remains one of my dearest friends.

They are moving to Arizona so that they can be together as a family and I can't fault them for that. But I'm going to miss them.

We got to see them for one of the last times this week and I made the kids pose for this picture for me. See how much they've changed over time?

The bottom picture was when the girls were about 1 1/2 (though her daughter Kayli is missing from the picture). The top picture is now, 4 1/2 years later. And yes, it's the same kids in the same order in both pictures.