Casts Part 1

Mr. R started walking on his toes when he was three or four years old.  We're not positive exactly when he started walking that way because it was a subtle change.  Right before he started Kindergarten however we saw that he walked entirely on his toes, with and without shoes.  He could stand flat footed and when reminded would try his best to walk normally.  However, after a few steps would revert back to toe-walking.  We asked his doctor about it and received a referral to an orthopedic specialist.  Apparently Mr. R has late onset toe-walking.  The majority of kids that walk on their toes start toe-walking from their first steps.  Only a few develop it later, lucky us!  The doctor said that his entire leg was overly tight and he couldn't even comfortably stand in a neutral position (standing up with your feet flat on the ground).  It took incredible force to bend his toes toward his head because his ankle was so stiff.  As a precaution we were referred to a neurologist to make sure there wasn't an underlying neurological illness causing his toe-walking.  While we waited to be seen by the neurologist, Mr. R went to physical therapy twice a week to work on stretching his leg muscles and tendons. He did show a little improvement but it would have taken years to get him stretched out enough to walk normally.  I am not that patient of a person so I opted for the doctor's suggestion of leg casts.  Once he received the all clear from the neurologist we went back to the orthopedic doctor for his casts.  Mr. R was super excited to be getting them!

Waiting for his casts to dry

Sporting his new shoes

The plan is that he'll wear double casts, just like he broke his legs, for two weeks.  Then he'll get a new set and wear those for another two weeks.  After three sets, or six weeks of casts, he'll hopefully be cured of his toe walking.  In order for the casts to work the doctor places his foot in a position before applying the casts to ensure that his legs will be constantly stretching for those two weeks.  Each time he gets new casts they will bend his foot even more until he reaches a satisfactorily angle that will allow his ankle normal, or close to it, movement.

Mr. R couldn't wait to pick out the colors for his casts and have everyone sign them.  After about an hour or so he got the hang of walking in them.  The only restrictions he has while wearing the casts are no running and no water or sand.  I sure hope this works!

Come Fly With Me

Hubby drove our truck to Mississippi, so that forced me to fly back to Virginia with three kids by myself.  I would not wish that on anyone.  Well, that's not quite true…  We flew Southwest out of Austin and it was hectic from the moment we got to the airport first thing in the morning until we finally arrived home.  Luckily the Southwest ticket agent took pity on my situation and issued both of my parents gate passes allowing them to get past security and help us to our gate.  I couldn't have done it without them!  We barely had time to say goodbye before we boarded the plane.  We had two layovers on our way to Virginia but we only changed planes once.  You could see the fear in people's eyes when they viewed the empty places around me and my three kids.  No one wants to sit next to three rambunctious kids on a flight.

Overall you could say the flights went well.  There were no major accidents.  I think a drink was spilled  on each flight but luckily not on me!  Once a nice man sitting across the aisle from us saved Boo's drink from tumbling into her lap.  He also helped her stow her backpack under her seat for landing.  On another leg of our trip the nice gentleman sitting behind us entertained Hiccup between the seats for half of the flight.  Kindness from strangers is always so appreciated.  Although I have to say I'm disappointed in my gender!  Not once did a woman try to help me!  I got the impression, "better you than me," from most of them.  Only men helped us on our very long, trying journey.  The one woman who we encountered only made me want to slap her.  As we were leaving the plane, in a rush to catch our next flight, an older lady (I use the term "lady" loosely here) turned to us and said she was very impressed how well behaved the kids were.  Wait for it… Then proceeded to look right at Mr. R and said she sure hoped his mom would be giving him something good for a reward!  I then had him asking for a "reward" for his "good behavior"for the next 30 minutes.  When we were waiting in line to board our next flight, after frantically grabbing the kids Happy Meals from McDonald's, while I was digging through my purse looking for the next set of boarding passes, Mr. R asks AGAIN, very loudly, what I'm going to give him for being good.  After answering him that I would give him a roof to live under, clothes for his back, and food to eat for the behavior I expected from him at all times, he finally stopped asking when he heard the women behind us in line laughing.  Then I proceeded to curse that old lady under my breath.

We finally arrived in Virginia in the late afternoon.  My awesome neighbor had agreed to pick us up at the airport.  When she arrived we loaded our 6 checked bags, 5 carry-ons, and 3 kids in the van and drove home.  Hiccup took her first nap of the day on the drive home.  Pulling into our driveway was such a relief.  I think next time we fly anywhere as a family, and I'm referring to Hubby flying with us, I believe I'll book a separate flight and let him travel with the the kids.

Last Day of Vacation

Tomorrow we head back to Virginia, so what better way to end our vacation than with a swim? 

Naked baby in a feed tub.  That's how we roll in Texas...

An Old-Fashion Gunfight

What's a trip to Texas without an old-fashion gunfight?  If you've never had one you're missing out.

Trying to escape the tree house

My parents bought the kids a toy shotgun, pistol and holster, you know the cap-gun kind from when we were kids.  Well after arguments over who got the shotgun and who got the pistol, my parents bought a second pistol and holster.  Then they were set for a gunfight.  Granddad played the bad guy and the kids had so much fun trying their best to "shoot" him.  After a failed attempt to ride off into the sunset on his "horse" they decided that they were going for a jeep ride to "hunt".

The bad guy "escaping" on horseback 

The kids loaded up their weapons and Granddad drove them into the pasture in our old Jeep.  I'm not quite sure what they were hunting but I'm sure the cows were pretty surprised to see two kids aiming cap-guns at them.  Great memories for later!

Loaded up to go "hunting"

Heading out to the pasture

Learning to Ride

The kids were looking forward to learning to ride a horse this year.  Obviously they won't become proficient riders in just a few weeks, but I wanted them to be comfortable on a horse and at least know the basics.  They started out with my parents leading the horses around with just a halter on.   There were rows of round hay bales in the arena and my parents would lead the horses through the rows like a maze.  The kids loved it!  They decided to play hide-and-seek in the arena and had a great time trying to "hide" from each other.  Boo and Granddad had a bit of an advantage since Boo was riding Bullseye and he's much smaller than the horse Mr. R was riding. 

Mr. R riding Pappy

Mr. R trying to "hide" in between the hay bales

Granddad leading Boo around

After several days of being led around, Mr. R decided that he wanted some reins.  We put the kids in one of the horse pens, put a bridle on the horses and let them do their own thing.  Well, almost.  Apparently Bullseye will follow Granddad anywhere.  All he had to do was walk around the pen and Bullseye would follow him.  It was a great confidence builder for Boo because she thought she had control of the horse but really my dad controlled where the horse would go and when he stopped.

Mr. R had a lot of fun making Bullseye go where he wanted to go.  He really enjoyed having the reins and riding by himself.  He told me he can't wait until his next visit so he can ride all by himself and trot.

After a ride playing on the hay bales is a must

Wildlife Park

My Dad wanted to take the kids to the drive-through wildlife park while we were visiting.  So he took a vacation day and we drove over to the Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch.  The kids were excited to learn that they would be able to see giraffes and zebras.  They had a ton of fun trying to spot the different animals as we drove through.  They each had a bag of feed pellets they could give the animals.  Unfortunately it was really hot, so the animals were pretty lazy about getting up and eating the food the kids would throw to them.  Plus, no zebra sighting.

Hiccup looking for some animals

After we drove through the park we ate lunch at the cafe there and walked through the petting zoo.  Those poor animals were even more miserable from the heat than the ones out in the park.  Half of the goats and sheep were laying down and weren't about to get up for anything, even a pesky one year old.  Hiccup loved sitting on the goats.  They didn't even flinch when she climbed on.  When the kids discovered brushes in the pen they had a good time brushing the goats.  

Hiccup taking a break on a goat

Still not sure if it's a horse or not

The kids with Grandma and Granddad

After a trip to the gift shop we drove through the park one more time looking for the elusive zebras.  But alas, they evaded us again and that turned into the one disappointing thing from the day.  We never got the chance to see the zebras.  There's always next year I guess.

Hay Isn't Just for Horses

It's also for posing your kids on in their new western gear!  Hiccup wasn't impressed with its prickly feel so she's crying in most of her pictures.  At least I managed to get a group photo out of her before she completely lost it.

F is for Fishing

One of the things the kids always look forward to when they visit my parents is going fishing.  They take them over to our neighbor's tank (aka pond to you city-folk) and they get to practice their catch and release skills.

Mr. R's first catch

Hiccup and I went with them for a little bit until she decided she'd rather go home and sleep.  The kids fished until dark, and when they came home there were two more in their party.  Apparently Boo caught two little fish and didn't want to release them.  She wanted to bring them home, as in to Virginia.  So what's a grandparent to do?  Find a water jug and let her put the fish in them of course!  She came running into the house to show me her new "pets".  I'm surprised those fish weren't dead in the morning.  We finally convinced her to turn them loose in the horse's water trough so they could grow big.  Now she can't wait to see them next summer.

A Girl and Her Dog

Hiccup has a new best friend and his name is Macho.  He is my parents' Great Dane and he has calmed down immensely since last year.  Last summer he would knock the kids down and run over them.  This year he would lay quietly while Hiccup climbed all over him.  She would get the biggest grin on her face when you mentioned Macho's name and would look for him as soon as she woke up in the mornings.  Her favorite thing to do in the morning is eat breakfast on the porch so she could "share" with Macho.  Her second favorite thing to do was force feed the dog his dog food.  He tolerated it like a champ. Hiccup can now say "doggy" when she sees him.  I know he will be sorely missed when we leave.

Love for Macho

Feeding him some dog food

Bullseye

Boo just loves Jessie from ToyStory and had been asking for a pony for awhile because Jessie has one.  One day she called up Granddad to "talk about her trip to Grandma's" and she flat out asked him to get her a pony.  His response, "What color?"  After she informed him that Jessie had a brown horse named Bullseye and she wanted one too, he told her he would do the best he could to find her one.  This is the result of that search:

One brown pony named Bullseye.  Technically he's not considered "brown" but to a four year old he is.  Boo was thrilled and couldn't wait to ride him.  She even shared "her pony" with her siblings.  

Flea Market

My parents love to go to this big flea market in San Antonio.  Actually big is an understatement, it's HUGE!  One of my friends wanted me to pick up some more clear Mexican vanilla at the flea market so we drove there in the morning and spent several hours walking outside checking out the different vendors/sellers.  In the middle of the flea market are rides for the kids.  They were having a special that day on wrist bands for unlimited rides so we picked some up for Boo and Mr. R.  They rode a miniature train, carousel and a helicopter ride.  The kids were so excited to get to take a break from walking (and shopping) and have some fun.  They even let Hiccup ride the carousel for free.  By the time we left I think we were all exhausted and sunburned. However, the trip was deemed a success because I carried home 5 liters of vanilla (yes, I did say 5 liters)!

Hiccup riding with Granddad

Riding the helicopters in honor of Daddy

Tom & Jerry

Last year my parents got the kids two kittens when they came to visit, Jack and Jill.  They talked about those kittens all year long and couldn't wait to see them again.  Only one problem, Jack and Jill found a new home with my uncle and no longer live with my parents.  How do you fix a problem like that?  Simple, you get some more kittens.  My aunt gave my parents two replacement kittens.  Problem solved!  The kids tried to call them Jack and Jill until my dad informed that they already had names, Tom and Jerry.  The kids tortured played with those kittens constantly.  Jerry was a little more easy going and just plain lazy so he was a favorite at nap time.  Tom loved to play but would get a little rowdy and occasionally scratch the kids, but toward the end of our trip he mellowed out a little.

Mr. R hanging out with Jerry

Nap time with Jerry

The newest fashion accessory

Tom getting comfortable for a nap

Even cats can ride horses

The kids begged to take the kittens home with us but I had to put my foot down.  Actually, Hubby put his foot down.  Although it would have to be a pretty big foot seeing as it's in Mississippi... I would have gladly taken the kittens home, but two kittens and three kids on a plane?  There is a limit to my sanity...

Till We See You Again...

When Hubby and I got married over nine years ago I knew that I'd be saying goodbye to him many times over the course of his Navy career.  And I have.  When we were in Japan I felt like I was constantly saying goodbye as often as he went out.  The difference there was that he would come back fairly quickly.  I think the average amount of time he was gone to sea was two months.  The longest I've ever had to be away from him was five months.  Five months didn't seem so bad though because Mr. R and I visited him in Hawaii, Australia, and Guam.

Now Hubby is leaving for TAD (Temporary Active Duty) and this goodbye will be the hardest yet by far.  This goodbye will be said not only by me, but by three kids who don't quite grasp how long their dad will be gone.  Let's face it, I'm hoping that Hiccup still remembers who Daddy is when he comes home.  This separation does have its good points; there is always a silver lining.  He'll be in Mississippi awaiting his ship to be built so he'll stay stateside.  We will be able to call him everyday, or at least until his ship is finished.  He may have the opportunity to fly up and visit us.  We will hopefully get to see him for Christmas!

One thing that bothers me about his leaving is the attitude I've gotten from some wives I've spoken with.  They seem to think that Hubby's leaving is not a big deal because of those good points.  Apparently to them unless my husband is in the Middle East or on a ship out in the middle of the ocean it's not a hardship for us.  I'd like them to tell that to my kids who go to bed asking for a kiss and hug from their dad, who ask almost everyday how many more days/weeks/months until their dad comes home, who want to know why their dad can't be there for their first day of school, to take them to karate or dance, or do other countless things.  They are welcome to come over and watch my one year old laugh and hug her Daddy doll that she sleeps with because that's the only hugs she'll be getting from him.  Dealing with the everyday ups and downs of raising three young kids when you're husband is not physically present, whether he's overseas or a thousand miles away, is tough.  That phone call I might get doesn't make up for an extra pair of hands.  But that's okay, I'll get through this the same way I do every time he leaves.  Just like I'll do the next time as well.

So we all watched and waved goodbye to Hubby as he drove off to Mississippi with a piece of our hearts with him.  We will be anxiously awaiting your return home.

Real Girls Drive Trucks

The kids love to drive around in their truck and Gator that my parents keep in the barn for them.  The Gator goes pretty fast and Boo doesn't quite feel the need for speed (yet), so she claimed the truck.  She loved driving it around outside the house and barn.  Since the truck has seat belts and doors on it, whereas the Gator does not, Hiccup was allowed to ride with Boo.  The girls had a lot of fun cruising around.  Boo's driving improved greatly by the time we left.  Now she thinks she's ready to drive the real thing.  I don't think I'll ever be ready for that.  Let's hope twelve years goes by really slow...

Having a nice drive

Heading out to the pasture

Passing Grandma and Mr. R on the four-wheeler

Sea World

One thing we wanted to do before Hubby leaves for Mississippi was go to Sea World.  Hubby loves Sea World and secretly harbors a wish to work there.  My mom had heard that they had beluga whales at the San Antonio park now, so I got online to check.  I saw that you can purchase behind the scenes tours for the beluga whales and decided that was a must do. Unfortunately you have to be 42 inches tall to participate and Boo measured in at 41 and a quarter.  So I bought two tickets for the beluga whale tour and two tickets for the penguin tour which only had the requirement of being 4 years old.

Waiting to see Shamu

Mr. R was very excited to learn about the beluga whale tour because during the tour you get to receive a kiss from a whale.  For those of you who don't know, Mr. R has had a stuffed beluga whale as a lovey from the time he was born.  We decided I would go with him on the tour because while we were living in Japan Hubby got the chance to get a kiss from a killer whale and Mr. R and I had to watch.  It was our turn now.  During the tour Mr. R took my camera and stood off to the side of the pools the whales are kept in.  He had a great time just watching them up close and snapping pictures whenever he felt like it.  He did great when it was time to receive his kiss.  You had to walk up to the edge of the pool and get on your hands and knees. Then you turned your head to look at the photographer and the trainer would give the signal for the whale to come up and kiss you.  Afterward he told me how surprised he was by how "spongy" the whale felt.  We got a 5x7 photograph of our kiss to take home.  Now Mr. R can't wait until he's 7 because then he can go on the tour where you swim with the belugas.  I call dibs on chaperoning that tour!

Mr. R getting a kiss from a beluga

Hubby and Boo went on the penguin tour and had the opportunity to meet a penguin.  Boo was excited to have the chance to pet one.  Hubby said that they got to go into the penguin enclosure and that within a minute Boo was shaking from the cold.  He said that two emperor penguins came right up to their group and was eyeing Boo's shirt.  Later in the penguin kitchen they brought in a rockhopper penguin for everyone to meet and take pictures with.  Apparently Boo was a hit with the penguin.  She loved having the chance to pet him and he apparently loved having the chance to get close enough to try to eat the flower on her shirt.

Boo petting a penguin

The penguin trying to eat her shirt

When I saw the picture of the penguin trying to eat her shirt I was worried that Boo got scared that it would bite her.  Hubby said that she, along with everyone else on the tour, thought it was hilarious.  She had a lot of fun and loves showing off her 5x7 picture of her and Daddy with the very friendly penguin.

Meeting Shamu

By the time we left we were all hot and tired.  It had been a long but extremely fun day.  I was glad we got the chance to have some fun with Hubby before he leaves.

Note:  Hiccup spent a relaxing day with Grandma.  We weren't about to drag her to Sea World all day long.