Puddle Jumpers and Big Butts

How many of us could simply walk by this puddle without noticing its full potential? Oh you may notice it enough to avoid it, sure. Don't want to get your feet wet and all. Could you walk through it? Gently wade into it to watch the ripples wash outward, being careful that it doesn't crest the rubber sole of your shoe to soak your socks. Not me. Not my kids.

There's no grace here. There's no tiptoeing gently. This puddle needs to be disturbed and we'll do it the best way we know how:

                                                                   JUMP!

We will splash this puddle right back to where it came from. It'll be like the front row seats at an orca show at Sea World. This puddle (and all puddles) weas meant for jumping in as sure as snow is for snowmen. Coop could be walking hand in with me as innocent as you please. The moment he spots a puddle he starts tugging and pulling and if I don't let go, he goes boneless. He'll stay out of the puddle if I tell him "no water". However, he must throw at least 1 rock into. If he misses, he'll have to try again. Rhy is the same. He gravitates to puddles like the Death Star tractor beam! And today was no different. I took him to school this rainy, Tuesday morning. On the way into the building he stomped in a puddle. It wouldn't have been so bad if his pants were tucked into his boots. But no, they were hanging out and got soaked. Of course, I fussed at him because now he's in wet pants until they dry. At recess, the puddle tractor beam was in effect again. He must have found a puddle to stomp/jump/play in and was apparently told to stay out of it. He did. Until lunch time. Back outside after lunch that puddle called to him yet again! He must have jumped in it this time because he got some other kids wet. He was called to the office for a talkin' to. Rhy's teacher made him tell me about it after school and I made him tell mom when we got home. He lost a few privileges this evening. Not because he was jumping in puddles. Puddle jumping is awesome fun. But because he was told not to do something and he did it anyway and he got others wet in the process. I know I'll re-post this story in 4 years when Coop does the exact same thing.

Who for some reason and we have yet to figure out where or why calls the buttons and drawstrings on pants "Big Butts". If the drawstring on his pants is on the outside he'll tell us "my big butt's hangin' out". Unless he's naked. If he's naked and you ask him where his big butt is he'll put his hands on the floor and stick his butt in the air as high as his little legs will let him. Think of that the next time you get dressed...

A Heart Lesson and a Check-up

Heart lesson: the two top "chambers" are  the left and right atrium. The bottom "chambers" are the left and right ventricles. The lines separating the atrium from ventricles are the Mitral valve and Tricuspid valve. Those valves open and close to let blood flow through as the heart beats and pumps it through. Or at least that's how I understand it. I'm not a doctor.

This isn't Rhy's heart. But this is what Rhy's heart looks like on an echo scan. You can clearly see the   valves separating the atrium from the ventricles. Rhy's doctors are keeping an eye on the tricuspid and mitral valves because there some regurgitation. This simply means that the valves aren't closing completely. Therefore, some blood flows backward into his heart. However, what they are mostly concerned with is his aorta and pulmonary artery. They are making sure they are not narrowing, which is something that can happen after the surgery that he did at 5 days old. But just like he has for the last 6 years, he rocked his cardio check-up! The regurgitation is minimal and always has been. The aorta and pulmonary artery haven't narrowed. He is thriving, now standing at 3' 11" tall and  61 pounds. We found all this out yesterday from his cardiologist at the IWK... Dr. Kenny Wong (joined yesterday by Dr. Matthew Woo).  Dr. Wong was impressed enough that he doesn't need to see him again for 2 years! For the last 3 years we visited Dr. Wong once a year for Rhy's check up. Rhylan always amazes me while we're there. The child who is normally loud and rambunctious as most boys are (noise with dirt as we typically describe them) was calm, quiet and patient while they did his EKG and again during the echo. Thank you Rhy! I kind of liked his yearly check ups. We always used them as an excuse to get out of town and visit family we don't get to see often. Guess we'll have to find a new excuse... Daddy needs new running shoes? Mommy wants to go to the K-cup store?

On another note, I was terrified thinking about how Cooper would behave during Rhy's EKG and Echo. I was relieved that he wanted to be held while we were in the patient room for the EKG. He watched with curiosity what they were doing to his big "bubby". Then in the patient room for the echo, they turned the lights down to see the monitor better. Cooper took that as his cue to snuggle in and fall asleep in my arms. Whew. I got to watch the whole thing! I was afraid Cooper would get restless and have to go run and play and I would miss the best part. Thank you Cooper!

The 2 and a half hour night time drive home with 2 sick kids (the oldest with a bad cold and the youngest with a fever) is a story for another blog.

Trick or Treat!

Trick or Treat! Happy Halloween!
Accompanied by Super Mario and Jake - The Neverland Pirate, we went off in search of tricks and treats. We started in Louisdale and visited 3 special places there. Then it was back into town for a quick supper and off to visit some more around the Hawk. We did well... a large recycling bag is 1/2 full! I say we because of the candy tax, of course. All that gas and time to take them out will cost them chips and chocolate. And as tempting as it is, we probably won't pull the Jimmy Kimmel trick. I am seriously impressed by the effort some put into handing out candy to strangers. Special treat bags for kids they know. Unique gifts like a bird house. And the tons of chips and chocolate. We don't get many kids in our corner of town. The house to candy ratio isn't all that great. But we visited the houses on our street and managed to gather a decent load! We had Periwinkle join us on our trip up our street and Rhy and Coop were very excited to have her join us.

I want to apologize for anyone's house we didn't make it to. The kids wanted to go to EVERY house, of course. But by 7:00 I was about to make our wee little pirate walk the plank and Super Mario had lost his star power. Now to keep them from eating all today.

P.S. Yes, I sent my minions kids out in costume to collect candy for me.