Stiches for Sammy

Today as lunch finished Sam and Kate were playing roughly in the living room when Jake and I heard a thunk. Followed by a cry. I went to comfort Sam, for he had run into the corner of the wall. I hugged him, then pulled back to see the goose egg, and found a gushing head wound instead. In half a second I could see it was going to take stitches, and in about 1 minute we were in the car. Two more minutes and we were at the ER. I called my mom on the way to go over and watch Kate so Jake could come too and help me hold him down while they stitched him up, remembering when Kate got stitches and I could hardly hold her still enough. I quickly glanced in my car mirror before heading in to the ER thankfully to find my face literally covered in Sam's blood. I cleaned up a bit for the sake of not looking over dramatic. By the time Jake arrived the bleeding at stopped. The crying had stopped on the drive over and we were contently playing with a sticker and cuddling. Thankfully our family doctor was the doctor on call. He numbed the wound, then we held him while Doc put in 6 stitches. He was such a trooper and only cried during the numbing shot and then let us hold him and the medical personal inspect and sew away without even moving. From then on he didn't let out a whimper and was his sweet self waving to everyone and pointing out things. Bonus the Doctor even confirmed the ear infection I had been suspecting all vacation and got us a prescription for that as well. He should be all healed up by Friday, and we will go back to get the stitches out. My poor little Sammy!
Kate had her stitches in November of last year. I guess it is just a bad month for head wounds in our family.

Thanksgiving Week {Monterey, Los Banos, Fresno}

Really attempting to make the most of our Thanksgiving week, Jake took the week off and we spent a 6 days hoping around Central California. Our 1st stop was Monterey, CA. This is a quaint coastal town we had both visited as children. Two of Jake's brothers and their families came as well making a large Freeman crew exploring the town. Kate could have cared less where we were and what we saw, because when asked what her favorite part was she would always respond it was her cousins. It is hard to beat 4 little girl cousins to play with. The weather was cold but we dressed the kids in their snow gear and took them to the beach so they could see the ocean. Kate went straight to work collection shells and building things, until her cousins showed up and she could skip the shores with them.

Looking at Sea Otters.
We went to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, which was a popular destination the day before Thanksgiving.

"CHAARRK!" is what Sam yelled through most the aquarium.
Kate show cases the fish tank for me.


Kate and Cami look at the Jelly Fish



Sam started screaming and crying out of exhaustion so he ended up outside with Jake chasing seagulls for the better half of the aquarium. I don't know that how much of the aquarium I really saw for trying to keep track of Kate running around and Sam's tantrums. I really love the atmosphere of the town and would love to return sans children some day.
For actual Thanksgiving we headed to Los Banos, CA, where my grandmother and aunts live. My parents and little sister were there too. In my hurry to re pack our stuff to spend the day in Los Banos, I forgot my camera. Imagine there is a picture of tons of food, cousins, and a spirited game of BINGO with very worthy prizes.
We ended our trip with a few days rest in Fresno with Jake's parents and siblings who live in Fresno and who were in town for Thanksgiving. We saw five of the seven siblings and their families.
The kids enjoyed playing with cousins, a grandma and grandpa who would read them book after book, and warm enough weather to play outside in the orchard.


We made a last minute decision to leave Saturday evening because we saw Winter Storm Warnings for Sunday and Monday. We packed our stuff and the car in about 25 minutes and were on our way. When it started snowing before we hit Las Vegas I thought we would be in a lot of trouble, but we had little snow until the last hour of our drive. Jake and I both pulled an all night-er to get home safely and finally went to bed this morning around 6:30 am. Of course the kids slept well in the car and we have been trading off sleeping most of today to make up for it.
Hope you had a great Thanksgiving with perhaps less traveling and packing.

Old Stuff

I found these picture going through some old stuff today.
These made me laugh and cry and fall in love all over again with Jake.
And see that maybe Sam doesn't get his good looks from me after all.
I didn't know Jake when he was 12 years old. But seeing this makes me pretty sure I would have totally had a crush on him.

Family Pictures

I've been doing a lot of family photos for people this fall.
The worst thing about this is that is makes me desperate for my own.
I hate that I look on my computer and have thousands of images from other peoples families and very few of my own.
So I made everyone dress in coordinating clothing last week, sit outside in the cold and forced them to smile while I tried to get a picture.
it went well .... or...
I set up the tripod. I would set the timer. Jake would have Kate sitting with him. I would run and get Sam from playing in the sticks, and try to pose us both before the timer went off. This often resulted in a picture of my behind as I ran towards the camera, or a picture without Sam and I in it at all. {which I still prefer to the ones of my backside) though 3/4 of the pictures are literally missing a family member, we did get one... count that one, with everyone in it, with their hands not covering their faces, or clapping, or sword fighting with sticks. and 2 almost 3 people of the 4 are even smiling.
But I guess at least we have a picture documenting our family today.
And though they are not worth printing and putting up in our home,
I think they will at least do for our Christmas cards this year.

Hilarious Kate

" Kids grow up to be Mommies and Dad's come from fairies...
...Jesus will make you a mom, you have to ask him please...
... {Name of child in preschool} went potty on the big potty not my potty because she has a big bum..."


In case you think these are an assortment of statements she made over the course of today, you are wrong, this is one streaming conversation from her to me and Jake just minutes ago.

There is nothing funnier than being the parent of a very talkative three year old.

Kate is really into "being married" right now.
She is always saying things like "when I am a mom..." or "when I get married"

Tonight as I was putting her to bed she had these things to say to me.

"When you got married did you throw that thing around your leg?"
" When I get married I am going to have blue flowers"
"I am going to have a married house with twenty flowers outside and diamonds in the middle of the flowers"
" In my married house I am going to have a pink couch and a sparkly blue kitchen"
"Can we put those pj's (that are too small for her now) in the box and save them for when I have a little girl named Kaylie"
"When you got married did you throw your flowers?"
"We are going to have stars when I get married"

That picture above is her dressed up to get married. Notice the tiara and blue "veil"

PLEASE STOP GROWING UP LITTLE ONE!
You are only 3.

Wondering where she learns all this wedding stuff?
From Disney Princess movies that is where.
That or Jake and I make marriage look just that awesome.

Bad Things from Nov 1.

1.Getting my car stuck in park at the post office drop off box for several minutes.

2. Dropping the bank drive- thru canister out the window and having to chase it half way across the parking lot.

3. Washing and drying a load of laundry this morning only to unload it out of the dryer and find all that washing and drying was accompanied by a trick-or-treaters chocolate heath bar and having to wash and dry the entire load again.

4.Washing and drying another load of laundry this evening only to unload it out of the dryer to find that all that washing and drying was accompanied by a pull-up and have to wash and dry the entire load again.

5.Washing and drying yet another load of laundry tonight only to unload it out of the dryer to find that all that washing and drying was accompanied by a trick- or-treaters chocolaty Almond Joy and having to wash and dry the entire load again.

6.Having to dig out all the trash bags from the outside trash and bring them inside on to my newly mopped floor, so that I can dig through them because I realized that hours ago I threw away a paycheck.

I keep having really frustrating days. I have a lot going on this month.
I guess my brain is taking the majority of the hit.

* It is when you post something like this that your 19 month old will puke in his bed, then dry heave every twenty minutes until 4:00 am.