by Sarah | Sep 16, 2010 | Uncategorized
Two years ago for Christmas we got Brandon two Hexbugs. The original (beetle-like) Hexbug and the crab. He loved them, and Archie & I thought they were pretty cool, too.
So when the email came from MomSelect offering up a Hexbug Nano party, I jumped at the chance to host. When I got the email confirming I’d been selected, I was more excited than my kids (probably because the girls are so young, they had no idea what I meant).
Within two weeks I had a swarm of kids over at the house. 7 kids (ages 2-9) and two of us Mom’s. Any concern I might have felt over whether we could handle it ws gone the second the kids saw the Nano’s.
I’d set up a handful of mini habitats, but apparently it wasn’t good enough. Soon they were attaching all the little habitats together, making a large habitat and ripping into their test tubes so fast we nearly lost half of the online codes inside!
In the end, all I can say is that the party – and the Nano’s were a total success. For every second of the party the kids did nothing but play with the Nano’s. The food hardly interested them (even though they did eat) – all they cared about was the toys. The fact that they each got to pick several of their own, plus pieces of habitat to take home just made their day.
Once the party was wrapped up, my girls stayed glued to the kitchen table playing with the “ants” for the next 3 days straight until the batteries ran out on their Nano’s (which lasted a good 24 hours total of straight on-time play-time). I do have spares, thankfully because I have a feeling this is going to be a popular toy for a while!!
By the way, for the party we had:
Worms
& Snails
For food…and the bugs, well…
They’re speedy little buggers:
But when they cause this look:
And cause such creative and excitable play as these did.
They are always welcome in my house.
**********************************************************************
**Disclaimer: I received the Nano’s and habitat pieces free from MomSelect & Hexbugs…but I couldn’t fake the kids reactions if I wanted to. So the free-nessity did not influence my review in any way.
by Sarah | Nov 29, 2009 | Uncategorized
Six years ago I met her online.
Five and a half years ago we had our first phone call.
We’ve exchanged pictures and gifts. Talked about our husbands, our children.
She was the first person my husband called when I went into the hospital in labor – or for surgery.
I sat helpless miles away as she suffered through a difficult divorce.
She sat feeling just as helpless as I struggled with my children, their diagnoses, daily life.
Last week I took a last minute trip. I packed in an hour, loaded all three kids into the truck and I drove.
For almost 700 miles we crossed four states to end up in Virginia.
I stepped out of my truck and onto her front lawn and finally got to embrace my best friend.
We hugged, laughed, talked, and cried. She got to see my girls and play with them. Our sons met and became fast and very close friends (as we expected them to). We sat two feet from each other and played on the computer, laughing and joking that we should log on and chat online at the same time.
My reasons for going no longer mattered as much as being there. With my friend. Seeing that it isn’t the distant connection that keeps us close. It is a real connection, and now been cemented by face to face contact, long hugs and comfortable silence.
I traveled almost seven hundred miles and felt just as at home as I do now.
Always my friend. Always my sister. Now more “real” then ever.
by Sarah | Nov 1, 2009 | Uncategorized
Until now I’ve been happy with our school system. Brandon has thrived and learned and had his intelligence recognized. Not one thing has given us pause when it’s come to his schooling. The girls were a different matter – but with Brandon we’ve not had problems…
Yesterday became the day – the first time I had to really sit back and wonder at things. I became very disappointed in the school’s handling of a situation that affected me, my son, my husband.
Brandon blacked out in school. We don’t know why. We don’t know how. We only know that it was for a couple of minutes, and that it improved after he ate lunch.
We never had a chance to get him and take him to the doctor when it would have been effective. We didn’t even know it happened. Why?
They called us – twice. Once on the home phone and left a message (I was in the bathroom – heard phone ring but not the answering machine). Once on my cell phone (which had a dead battery).
Did they call ANY other number on our emergency number list?
Did they call Archie? My mother? My father?
No.
They didn’t even LOOK at his emergency card. They asked HIM for the numbers (he doesn’t have all of those memorized!)!!
They did not try to call the home number again. At all.
It wasn’t until I happened to glance at our answering machine 4 hours after the initial phone call that I found out.
Meanwhile Brandon spent at least 30 minutes in the nurses office freaking out over what had happened to him and he had no one to comfort him but a school nurse. I live two minutes from the school I could have picked him up and had him at the doctors office (another 3 minutes away) in no time.
By the time I found out he’d finished the entire school day.
Archie and I are NOT happy. We are trying to decide how best to address this with the school. It was handled exceptionally poorly and we are nowhere near okay with it at all.
by Sarah | Apr 23, 2009 | Uncategorized
To spread the word and prayers for another very sick little girl! A lady in my playgroup knows this family and has asked us all for prayer s(and she’s not a prayer!!)!! She’s three and a half an in very serious condition!!Â
http://blairrosalia.blogspot.com/
About the family:
This page is for Baylee and Blair. Blair was born with a Giant Omphalocele on April 7th, 2008. She spent 7 weeks in the NICU at AR Children’s. Amazed by the Dr’s she came home at the end of May only on a little bit of O2 and no other medications. She was also diagnosed with a 3mm VSD of her heart. That has since closed and will not require surgery.
Baylee is an energetic 3 1/2 year old. She loves swimming, her babydolls, playing outside and most of all her little Sissy! She is our little princess and we have been amazed at how well she has reacted to her little Sissy. She is WONDERFUL to her little sissy and loves her so much! She was diagnosed on April 13th with a Right Ventricular Hypertrophy. Getting treatment is like pulling teeth! Hopefully we will be taking a trip to Boston to seek medical treatment soon!
by Sarah | Nov 29, 2008 | Uncategorized
My parents showed up for Thanksgiving. It was a great day. The girls got totally overwhelmed having two extra people in our house…but mostly they behaved. My mom was with me in the kitchen, the boys were in the living room watching football.Â
The turkey didn’t cook well…well, not completely. It apparently didn’t defrost all the way – but the breast meat was done and that’s the best part. We all gathered in the ktichen to eat, a table full of good food. I had made a new cranberry dish my parents raved over, and our plates were full, and soon were our bellies. The girls ate good, and the choking by Angel was kept to a minimum. I surprised my dad with a Lemon Meringue pie (his favorite).Â
After dinner the boys went into the living room again to sleep watch football. Mom and I did the dishes, getting them all knocked out (as I’d been washing as I cooked, which made it easier). Then we sat and talked and my parents left after a while. For the most part…it was a very good day…
Except the part where I broke my own heart…
I asked my Dad to carve the turkey. I could’ve done it, I should’ve done it, but I stupidly asked my Dad.
My Dad has parkinson’s. Over the past year it has become worse. He doesn’t walk now, he shuffles. Everything he does is very slow, very deliberate. I should’ve known better. But apparently I didn’t. He struggled and cut for several minutes – at one point exclaiming, “I’m butchering your bird.” And then he finally had to give up and say that he couldn’t. He was too tired. He couldn’t cut…he didn’t have the strength.Â
But other than breaking my own heart…it was good.
by Sarah | Nov 3, 2008 | Uncategorized
Maybe I needed the time away. Maybe I’ve lost my mind. Maybe I’m going through a “thing.” I don’t know…but I’m freaking me out. Since I got back from Buffalo I’ve…
Cleaned – EVERY day
Done dishes – every day but one
I’ve been a baking fool. I cooked pie pumpkins and used their insides to make pumpkin muffins and bread, I’ve made sourdough bread (yum), which I plan on using for sourdough french toast tonight.
When all 5 of my family members have been home we’ve had family dinner (except Halloween cuz it was a little wacky).
I made homemade applesauce. I made the bed, did laundry, snuggled with my husband (went to bed at the same time as him *gasp*).Â
I don’t know what’s gotten into me…but I have to admit that I like it…I hope it holds…I like productive me much better than slug me.
Now if I could just spread some of that productiveness to my blog…maybe I could redo the face of it into something I’m happy with and build my visitor count back up again…Right now is very very sad.
Two years ago for Christmas we got Brandon two Hexbugs. The original (beetle-like) Hexbug and the crab. He loved them, and Archie & I thought they were pretty cool, too.
