Stylin' During Tubby Time

Benjamin didn't even complain when I put this lovely thing over his forehead so he could bathe! Mark insisted that I not allow Benjamin's stitches to get wet, so this has been my solution.
Last night's bath included a lot of splashing from Luke, so I was glad Benjamin was covered.
The stitches come out tonight.

Accident Prone

The mouth bleeds a lot! I knew this before having kids, but I REALLY know it now.
My kids have all tried to outdo each other to prove this fact. Among these experiences, this one stands out at the moment:

About four weeks ago, Benjamin fell out of the car straight onto his face. I watched helplessly, knowing I couldn't possibly get there before his face met the black top. As I darted around the back of the car and lunged forward to catch him, he fell head-first from our Suburban door. In the back of my mind I really thought he wouldn't escape major damage and knocking out a few teeth. I was amazed to find, after I stopped the bleeding and cleaned him up enough to assess the damage, no broken bones and no damage to his teeth. His nose was scraped underneath and bleeding and his gums were bleeding. Also, his teeth had gone into his bottom lip (but not all of the way through luckily) so his lips were also bleeding. Benjamin's poor lips blew up to triple their size, they were so swollen. Sadly it took awhile for his mouth to heal because he hit it two more times which brought on a lot more bleeding and discomfort.

So, like I said, the mouth bleeds a lot...............

BUT from what I can tell, slamming into a table with your forehead and slicing your head open to the skull bleeds a lot more. Thank you, Benjamin, for introducing me to the phenomenon of squirting blood. Last night, at seven pm, our house looked like the setting of a slasher Halloween movie.

All of the kids were chasing each other around our family room when Benjamin tripped (or was pushed) and fell headlong into our kid's craft table. I had just gotten everyone into their pajamas, herded them into the family room for scripture study, gathered up their dirty clothes and headed toward the laundry room to drop the clothes into the washing machine. I heard a thud, but that isn't unusual at our house. Benjamin's screaming (which, sadly, is also not unusual) mixed with the quiet from the rest of the kids (which is VERY unusual) made me quicken my pace back to the family room. When I rounded the corner into our kitchen, I saw Benjamin lying on the ground with his face covered in blood. I could see blood squirting and dripping from his forehead onto the carpet. He was trying to get up from the floor and as he sat up I saw that the blood was all over his clothes and around him on the floor. I was surprised his wound had been able to bleed that much so fast. I immediately wished I had RUN in to gather him in my arms as soon as I heard him scream. Guilt washed over me as I ran and scooped him up and took him into the kitchen toward the sink looking for a cloth. I needed to wipe the blood out of his eyes, nose and mouth first of all. I hugged him to me, telling him he would be fine. While I was approaching the sink, I recognized that a clean rag would be better and turned back around only to find a major blood trail. I ended up lying him on the table and using a rag to put pressure on the bleeding. For a split second, I was trepidatious to look at the split in his forehead underneath the growing blood spot on my rag because blood makes me sick and weak--something I dislike about myself. Mark, my quick thinking calm doctor-husband, was not at home and before I could even fully form any thought the reality that I had to exude CALM sunk into my mind. I didn't think about it, I just uncovered his forehead and carefully examined Benjamin's head. I looked at the split in his forehead and could see fat, tissue and some skull. I knew it would need to be stitched. I got the bleeding to slow way down and then called Mark to come home (luckily he wasn't in surgery but had left clinic a few minutes early to head to the church for cub scouts since he is the wolf den leader). I tried to calm the other kids who were still staring and mumbling about all the blood, then cuddled Benjamin, still putting pressure on his head, as I carried him to our neighbor's house and asked my kind neighbor if she could come over while I went to the hospital. She needed a minute to pull herself together but came over shortly after Mark hustled in through the door about 15 minutes later.

As soon as Mark took over with Benjamin, I just had to deal with our new carpet. I started cleaning the carpet which just seemed to spread the blood around, but I worked until it didn't seem to be spreading it any more. I moved quickly wiping blood from the kitchen floor and cupboards so that the kids could walk through the kitchen again. It was taking longer than I had hoped. Those of you who know me well, can probably just picture the frantic cleaning that went on. Mark told me a few times to forget about it and get in the car. I just needed a minute to clear a path. My neighbor, shortly after she arrived, urged me out the door with Mark and Benjamin by promising to attend to the carpet and when we left she was reading bedtime stories to the rest of the kids (she is a first grade teacher). I owe her not only for putting the kids to bed, but also for cleaning the remainder of the blood from the carpet.
Mark and I drove to Dearborn so Mark could sew up Benjamin's head on his own at Oakwood Heritage Hospital where he works. Benjamin sat calmly in his car seat (he was in shock). Every once in a while, I would turn to wipe blood from his forehead, but he took it in stride. The drive felt long to me and I couldn't stop thinking about how Mark had to drive that every day. It was my first chance to see the hospital. Isn't that sad!? Mark had just finished his ER rotation and knew the staff there, so they let us in the back door, gave us a room and a nurse even came in to help. Benjamin didn't really need to be held down. He was so brave. I was proud of my Mark as he stitched up the cut. It was the first time I had seen him stitch. I admit, I asked Mark a few times on the way to the ER if he thought maybe a plastic surgeon should sew up Benjamin's head. It was a real confidence booster for my sweetheart, so I made myself stop and put my full confidence in his abilities (after his almost four months of internship:)) and wiped the thought from my mind. Mark did a good job! Benjamin will have a nice size scar in the middle of his forehead because it was a good size cut, but he is a boy and it will just make him look tough. I am taking good care of it and hope that will help.

I am still finding blood spatter in the kitchen (under the cupboards on the mouldings etc.). I am so grateful that Benjamin is okay (something much more serious could have happened). How cool is it that Mark has the ability to stitch up his own kids?
That is really going to come in handy!

Oh, how I love this little accident prone child!

Birthday Wishes

I got to spend my birthday with my family in Utah. It was a real treat! Both of my grandmothers came to my birthday celebration. I was honored and thrilled to see them.

Great Grandma Hill and Great Grandma Seal

The kids spent the evening eating good food and playing with their cousins and their aunts and uncles. We don't get a chance to be together very often, so it was an extra special event.

I had to capture a picture of my two youngest sitting happily together. Look at those sweet faces. I can't get enough of them!

Some of the Seal cousins in front of Grandma and Grandpa Seal's house.

Uncle Michael was bouncing the grandkids on the trampoline. He has a real way with them and they were in heaven, giggling and smiling.

Peyton played ball. I've got to get that girl into sports. She has a natural ability.

Benjamin loved the wagon. He got rides with different cousins around the circle. I am not sure why we don't own a wagon. They are lots of fun.

Happy Birthday to me! It was a lovely day. It was fitting to celebrate the day with family, especially with my mom who brought me into the world 34 years ago.
Thanks, Mom, for more things than I can mention here! I owe you my life.

Moving to Michigan!

Here we come!

Yes, it almost was just yesterday that we moved to Phoenix, so it comes as a big surprise that we are picking up and moving again after two short months. We have loved Phoenix and may return someday. Mark traded in his job as a preliminary general surgery intern for a categorical orthopedic surgery position at Wayne State University in Dearborn, MI. He will begin his residency on August 1st. We are thrilled about his new position and can't wait to discover the beauty of Michigan. I guess it is time to return to the snow. Carston couldn't be more excited about that!

If I can survive repacking all of the things that we just recently unpacked, I'll be blogging again in no time. This will be our tenth move in ten years of marriage! I believe we fit the definition of transient. It will be nice to put down some roots in Michigan for the next five years (far away from menacing hurricanes). So, now we just need to find an address to move our things to, talk our families into helping us yet AGAIN and we'll get busy doing what we are getting pretty good at doing -- moving!

Here are some facts about Michigan for those of you, like me, who have never visited before:

US State of Michigan

The name is derived from Lake Michigan, which in turn is believed to come from the Chippewa Indian word meicigama, meaning "great water."

Bounded by four of the Great Lakes, Michigan has the longest freshwater shoreline in the continental United States.

Michigan, upper Midwestern state of the United States. It consists of two peninsulas thrusting into the Great Lakes and has borders with Ohio, Indiana (S), Wisconsin (W) and the Canadian province of Ontario (N, E).

The Lower Peninsula, shaped like a mitten, is separated from Ontario, Canada, on the east by Lake Erie, Lake Huron and by the Detroit River and the St. Clair River, which together link these two Great Lakes. It is bordered by Lake Michigan on the west, across which lies Wisconsin. The Upper Peninsula lies northeast of Wisconsin between Lake Michigan and Lake Superior and is separated from Ontario by the narrow St. Mary's River.

Celebrating America!

This evening, we went to Steele Indian School Park near the VA Hospital in Phoenix to attend the Fabulous Phoenix 4th Independence Day Celebration. It was hot, but not the muggy kind of heat we endured in Louisiana so it seemed easily bearable. I like the dry Arizona heat.

There were all kinds of blow ups in the park and a firetruck with fireman spraying all of the kids with water. The mess left after the firetruck stopped sharing its wet wealth was what we got to walk through on our way back to the car after the celebration. It seems like fun gets messy!

There were small stands set up with various items either for sale or for free. One gave out free small garbage cans for recycling if you lived in the city, which I was excited about and the boys were gifted these D-Back hats at another one, which they loved!

You can tell the kids were nice and warm,
but not pouring sweat like they would have been in Louisiana.
As the desert sun was setting, we found a place to view the fireworks not far from the stage where live music was being played. I set up our picnic blanket and some chairs while Mark took the kids down the Cars blow-up slide.

I got there in time to witness the action.

Once it got dark, we danced to the live music and listened to the presentation before the fireworks. Jackson was in his element. He loves to bust a move! My favorite part is the look he gets on his face while he is dancing. He knows he is a rock star.

Peyton ran around with the boys in circles until they were all so sweaty and tired
they actually stopped for a moment to eat a treat.

We loved watching the fireworks! They were impressive and the songs inspiring.
We love our country!

We got caught in the traffic leaving the park, so we were exhausted and thirsty by the time we finally reached home. Next year we will take a whole cooler full of drinks instead of our camelback and water bottles for each person. Hydration is important around here.

Happy Fourth of July!

Fourth of July Swimming

We got to swim in our own pool for the fourth of July! I guess, for the kids, it wasn't that different from any other day we've had since we moved here. We swim everyday.
The difference was that Mark was home for the day! Swimming with Mark is so much more fun probably because he enjoys it so much. Besides, swimming on the fourth of July is a Calder family tradition.

We started the morning by going to McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park in Scottsdale
to ride the train. It was Mark's first time there with us. We were SO hot by the time we came back home we didn't even stop in the house but went straight out into the backyard and jumped into the pool. We swam all of the rest of the day. Mark barbecued some great food while we swam and then we ate dripping wet by the side of the pool, in keeping with family tradition.

When we first moved here, Grant didn't really like to put his face in the water. He also had to wear a life jacket. He now swims underwater everywhere he goes in the pool. I still have to closely monitor him, but he is pretty good at staying in the shallow end. Mark and I are so proud of his progress. He is becoming a great little swimmer!

The scary thing is that he has no fear! The danger is that he prefers jumping into the pool to swimming around so he spends all of his time testing out crazy new jumps that crack me up.
I'm afraid he is going to hit the side and split his head open one of these days.

I taught the kids how to dive earlier this summer and they are all great divers. Carston prefers the kneeling dive off of the diving board (shown above) . Once he gets into the water, he is fearless and fast!

Jackson does tricks off of the diving board like his dad! He is also our best diver and is getting to be a fast little racer. He practices racing by swimming the length of the pool with Peyton. They race a dozen times each day and it is funny to watch Jackson swimming for his life while Peyton glides along, gets distracted and sometimes heads another direction in the middle of a race. BUT she can also be very competitive as well. You're never quite sure what you are going to get with Peyton!

Benjamin has just started swimming by himself with his life jacket on. He used to make me hold him the entire time or he wouldn't get in the water, but he has now figured out how to propel himself in any given direction and kicks his little legs furiously to get around. His arms are merely for steering and holding toys. He still doesn't like putting his face in the water, but will allow for it when he jumps into the pool to me.

Carston is taking off as a swimmer and I am so excited to get him onto a swim team so he can refine his abilities. He isn't anxious to have to swim laps since he loves to just swim freely.

Peyton is our champion at holding her breath! She makes me nervous staying under the water so long. She loves to swim right up against the bottom of the pool and won't let herself take a breath until she has successfully navigated the entire length of the pool swimming down a wall and only back up on the completely opposite end.

We have contests doing pull ups on the diving board (probably not great for the board, but fun for us). Peyton and Jackson prefer pulling themselves completely out of the water.

Here Peyton is successful at the diving board pull up game! She gets so brown in the summer. Sunscreen doesn't stop her from tanning. She'll love that someday.

What a fun day of swimming! We have absolutely LOVED having a pool, although it is a bit scary at times. We are grateful for the net that fits over the top as well. Because of the pool, I have spent a lot of my summer outside with the kids and I am learning all about pool care. I actually have a tan (now that I am trying to protect my skin:)). That hasn't happened in years.

I love Arizona.
This is my kind of place.

Our New Home in the Desert

Southwestern charm,

Nice landscaping (there are even green grapes on the vine by our front gate),

A refreshing pool,

and even some Green to remind us where we came from:
What more could we ask for?

We love Phoenix!!