Dumb stairs!

I love my kids!  Beyond description.  What mommy doesn't?  I never knew I could love someone so much!  And when they are happy, I'm happy.  When they hurt, I hurt.  And tonight my poor baby got hurt.

Gracie and I were upstairs and she made her way to the top of the staircase.  When I went to get her, my sweet little girl was practicing her new skills of going down the stairs backwards.  A skill I recently taught her...once.  For safety.  And she already caught on and you could see the pride in her smile.  It was as if she said, "Look Mommy!  I'm doing it!"

I was a proud mommy!  But then I saw her sitting on her knees a little too close to the back of the step.  So I went to pick her up, and when she raised her hands for me, she lost her balance and took a tumble down the top half of our stairs and landed with her face hitting the corner of a small bookshelf in the stairwell landing.

Naturally, I scooped her up as quick as I could and comforted as best as I could.  But then I saw that things were bleeding.  So I called, and called, and called (cell phone service FAIL)...then finally texted Hubby, who was out for an evening run.  And one minute later, he was at the house and we looked everything over.  There didn't seem to be any permanent damage, but we still headed to the ER to make sure teeth, gums, and her eye was okay.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again.  There are HUGE benefits to having a great hospital in a small town.  You get right in.

The doc looked her face over and said everything looked fine.  Just a little scraped.  Teeth and gums were fine and her actual eye wasn't scratched.

So I said a prayer of thankfulness to God and we headed down the hall to visit our neighbor who is in the hospital right now.

I hate it when my kids are hurt.  I know it's part of life.  And I know it will continue to happen.  But when your 15-month old has a huge battle wound across her face, it falls in a special category of "hate."  But again, thank the wonderful Lord that nothing was permanently damaged.  Now, the bookcase is getting a buffer of pillows until little Princess is a little bigger.

It's a [Little] Man Thing

Isaac has phased out naps.  Unfortunately.  But we've incorporated "quiet time" into our afternoon schedule.  While Gracie naps, Isaac has to be in his room (preferably on his bed in case he falls asleep) playing or looking at his books quietly.  This gives dear 'ol mom a chance to rest or get something accomplished for the day when it's "been one of those days."

This week has been a challenge for the little guy though.  He's gotten bored before "the clock turns 3" and it's everything he can do to stay in his room.  Yesterday he came out of his room into our bedroom and told me he needed more toys to play with.  So I told him he could quietly go downstairs to get more toys, then back to his room to play until quiet time was over.

Gracie naps at the top of the stairs in a Pack-n-Play since she and Isaac share a room.  So Isaac hunched over (as if it increases his tip-toeing abilities), and quietly inched his way down the stairs.  A couple of minutes later he came back up the stairs with a little advertising booklet that came in one of our Disney DVDs and headed straight to the bathroom.

Reading material for potty time!  According to hubby, it's a "man thing."  Apparently it starts early on.

Pumpkin Patch

This past weekend we finally had a chance to visit the pumpkin patch!  We've never been to one and at first I thought, "Why do kids love pumpkin patches so much?"  I mean, come on!  Isn't it just a bunch of pumpkins? What do you do at a pumpkin patch?  But I wanted some of those super cute pictures of my kiddos surrounded by bright orange "Cinderella carriage wannabes," so we set out for an adventure.

Then we got there and Isaac and Gracie loved it!  Pumpkins were everywhere!  Who would've thought that kids would enjoy climbing around pumpkins so much?  Then they found the bales of hay, and the wagon, and Gracie got sleepy and sat like a statue on some pumpkins.  But nonetheless, we had a fun time.  It's on our "must-do" list for next year!

 Isaac and Gracie were preoccupied with all the pumpkins to pose for a picture.

 This is the smile you get sometimes when he "smiles on command."

Sleepy girl.  Sitting contently on the pumpkins.

Waiting for a nap...

 Riding in the wagon.







Big pulling Little in the wagon.

Isn't this the most beautiful face you've ever seen??

Getting candy from the Pumpkin Patch Lady.  

  Isaac with his sucker and the pumpkin he picked out.  Out of all the pumpkins, he wanted that one.  That tiny little pumpkin that is now fashionably situated on our dining room table.