The makings of a LIFETIME network movie...

You know exactly what I am talking about... Let me cast the characters for you....

• Innocent frazzled mother unjustly arrested for Child Endangerment (Me)
• Young toddler sweating profusely from being locked in the car and her 5 point harness on an 83 degree day with all the windows up (Abby)
• Frantic father using every item in his work shop to ALMOST reach the unlock button (Ryan)
• Snoozing infant chilling in her car seat OUTSIDE the car, oblivious to what is going on. (Lily)
• Calm, cool, collected, yet somewhat irritated 911 operator fielding the frazzled mother's call (nameless because it is not important to the plot)
• Several other "stand in" characters trying to offer suggestions and advice

The story begins as if it was a normal Friday morning.... Hustle bustle of breakfast, dressing, hair combing, nursing, diaper changes, dog feedings, school drop off, errand running etc. Fridays are somewhat scripted week after week. I take Abby to school, run errands, pick her up from school, go visit Ryan at work so Abby can tell him all about her day (and because it's payday). Well this Friday was no different until this part of the story... Abby had brought her back pack in and was showing daddy and the other employees all the fun things she brought home from school... (a myriad of scribbled papers). So cute!

Then she decided that she wanted to run back out to the car to grab her "show and tell" item so she could show and tell Ryan and the other guys about her wedding bear from Aunt Tami. So cute. Anyway, the car was parked immediately in front of the entrance and she was in plain site at all times... and no more than 20 feet from me. Come on moms you know you have all done it! So I allowed for her independence because I was SO certain she was SO excited about her bear that she would rush right back in... well, because Abby is ADD (not dr. diagnosed... just mom diagnosed) she got distracted and got a piece of gum from the cup holder and proceeded to put herself in her car seat and buckle up (most of the way).

Well, I decided since she was not as eager to come back, I grabbed Lily and headed for the car... yep doors locked.... keys in the ignition... Abby strapped into her car seat enough that she cannot get out....windows closed. Panic sets in... she is already sweating. She is crying and now I am afraid that she is going to choke on her gum. Ryan and some employees worked on getting the lock open while I talked to Abby and tried to calm her down. When I shut my door it did not close all the way so the guys had some room to work. But after about 10 minutes I decided enough was enough... so I called 911. Just as the operator obtained all the info (my name, address, phone number, where I was parked, the description of my van, shoe size, bra size, height and weight) Ryan reached the lock and got the doors open. YEAH!

I had a dream last night that the police came to arrest me and charge me with child endangerment. So I am on edge.

Moral of the story. Get Abby a booster seat. ;)

Toilet Fishing

A few weeks ago while at a home show I lost a crown while bitting into a yummy rice crispy treat. I promptly secured it back into place and went on my way. Until Sunday the thing stayed firmly in place prompting me to even forget it was a problem. While I was eating lunch on Sunday apparently the thing fell out again and YEP... I swallowed it. I called the dentist to see how much it was going to be to get it fixed and it sounds like $800 is the magic number. Which prompted Ryan to say.... "Sounds like you are going toilet fishing to retrieve that thing! That should save us a few hundred dollars!" But for the past few days I have not heard any porcelain crown ping off a porcelain toilet so I think we are safe to say the tooth has taken up permanent residency in my gut or it safely made it's way out already.... either way Abby is for sale for $800 if anyone is interested. Just kidding!

PS. On a lighter note, the doctor called with Ryan's test results and it appears there was nothing on the upper GI test. He is going to be taking some acid reducer to see if that helps any. Thank you for your prayers!

Hon... duh!

On Friday Abby had her first dentist appt! While we were waiting in the waiting room I had to fill out some pertinent information.... Abby was getting a bit restless and trying to escape the office so I asked her to help me fill out the info. I told her that the paper work was asking for information about her parents. I said, "Abby, the doctor is asking for your daddy's name... do you know what your daddy's name is?" She pondered the thought for a moment and said, "Umm, yes I know... daddy's name is HON!" Priceless.

Prayers Please...

I usually write about our kids but this is a request for Ryan... he has been having "issues" with his stomach, chest, espophagas, or something in that general area since May. He finally went to the doctor this week and then had to have an upper GI done this morning. We are prayerful that they will find something that is causing him to be uncomfortable, but yet we pray it is something minor that can be fixed quickly. Please keep him in your prayers this weekend! Thank you!

Abby starts school and other equally exciting news!

Well where to begin... so much has happened since I last blogged I can't even begin to explain it all. On Labor Day our washing machine took a poop and I have been on the hunt for a new one...(well, new to us) and my dear sister in law found us a gem from someone at her work! It was FREE! That has to tell you all something... Ryan and Eric picked it up last night and brought it home. When the boys came in the door I asked Ryan what he thought of it and he was so excited because he thought we might actually have a possibility of being selected to be on the Antique Road Show with it... Yikes! But we hooked that serious hunk of machinery up and it cleans clothes better than our old one and certainly better than the washboard and bucket method I had been using! Just kidding, but it is nice to have the capabilities here at home now!

Abby started 3 school on Tuesday! It is so great for her to have ownership of something all her own... something that Lily and mommy don't do with her! She is getting so big and so independent, we thought this would be great for her. We were told that she should have a LARGE back pack to house her Lion folder, and snow pants and boots for the winter. We headed to KMart to check out the selection. While we were there Abby decided that she was a big enough girl to run amok in the store... so after several minutes of chasing her down almost each and every aisle, we left with NO BACKPACK. Ok, so I am trying to teach her there are consequences for her bad actions. Disobey in Kmart= no backpack. After her 2.5 hours at school the kids were paraded out the back door and one by one each of them were brought to their parents standing by. Officially Abby was the ONLY one in her class to not have a back pack! So when the teacher brought her to me, she said, "Abby said that she does not have a back pack, is this true!?" Great, already on the first day I am the worst parent in there! So, for those kids who forget their back pack or in our case have a heartless, spineless, parent that won't get them one they were provided a large paper bag to house all their "goods"! I have attached some pictures from the first day.... Abby in her new outfit, and her large paper bag! Thanks Kim for the pictures, at least someone has it together for their kids sake! :)

Abby proudly displaying her make shift back pack!

This is where the teacher said, "Abby doesn't have a back pack... Is this true????!?! You horrible rotten parent!"

Help us name our new D-O-G!

As if we do not have enough chaos in our house we decided to add a new 4 legged creature to the mix... and who wouldn't? Look at this face! We are picking him up tomorrow and have no idea what to call him! Here are some names we have discussed:

1. Montana

2. Harley

3. Dyson

4. Milo

5. Apollo

6. Kevin (Ryan's idea)

7. Pee Pee (Abby's idea, She thought since we had a dog named Butt (how Abby says Buck), a bunny named Buns, it would only be appropriate to continue on with the human anatomy names!)

Please let us know what name you like... or suggest others you think would fit his cute little face! We are seriously STUMPED!

Weekend FULL of activity!

I hope everyone enjoyed the holiday weekend and was able to be outside to bask in the beautiful weather the Lord delivered. We had so much fun up at the cottage. We were able to soak up the sun, fill our bellies with yummy food, laugh by the fire, sleep in our comfy beds (yeah right), celebrate Abby's birthday, celebrate Lily's first tooth! (I know, I am as shocked as you are) and even visit the ER for stitches!







Grandma and Abby testing out their comfy pull out bed...

Abby gathering rocks along the shore...
Abby and Aunt Tami headed down to the lake for a redneck shower...

Abby cashed out after a long day playing...

Since Abby turns 3 years old on Sunday the 7th we decided to celebrate while the whole family was together...

Here is a picture Abby took of herself this morning... she is obsessed with her new boo boo. Yesterday after returning from a store run with Ryan Abby came running in the door, tripped over a pair of shoes and fell head (well, forehead) first into a metal bar stool. After a few panicky moment and fearful thoughts we talked to Abby's doctor who was on call this weekend and he suggested we take her to the ER in Holland when we got home... so Tami and I headed their with her last night and she was such a trooper. She NEVER cried... the doctor gave me a cotton ball with some numbing cream on it that I had to hold in place for 30 minutes, then he came in and stitched her right up. She never moved a muscle.... The nurse said they have 10 year olds that don't do as well as she did. Even though sitting through stitches maybe a talent for Abby, we are praying we can steer clear of the ER for a while!

Here is a picture of Lily with Auntie Jan (who by the way has a broken elbow and is in a sling). Lily was able to take a break from gnawing on Jan's hand for a deer in the headlight type picture. Lily was 5 months yesterday and she has cut her first tooth! That was not even on my radar... Abby didn't get teeth until 7 months....

Even after all this excitement... Ryan and I still took time out to commemorate this weekend with a picture by the lake. I am truly shocked that either on of us can muster the energy to even smile! :) But the Lord is good and we are thankful for our family and the time we could spend together.