Eight Can Be Great

Okay, Baylees baptism was on Saturday...the other fun has been covered, so now I can focus on her for a moment.

She was so excited...she wanted to leave at 9:30, even though her baptism wasn't until 11. We had to fight with Caleb all morning because he didn't understand why he couldn't go swimming with dad at the church. My nieces and nephews were a crackup, as always. The kids were all so excited to play with each other that the church was the last place they wanted to be. Felix had to perform the ordinance twice (he forgot her name the first time), which of course Baylee had to give him a hard time because she was cold. But is was beautiful and you could really feel the spirit and peace that were in the room.

I didn't realize how much Audrey Hepburn Baylee had in her until we got her dried off and changed.

I think if she's had a set of white satin gloves, the look would have been complete. She is beautiful, and wonderful and kind (when she wants to be...she's a work in progress like the rest of us). We are all very proud of her.

Mommy Thoughts (this qualifies, just like the birthday post)

1. 8 can be great, especially when you make great choices that have great outcomes.

2. Looking at this picture, I really hope she hung her dress up.

3. When she isn't fighting with someone, she has a somewhat angelic look about her, don't ya think?

4. I feel bad her day was cut short on account of broken people.

5. She's a good kid, a really, really, really good kid.

A Pop, Pop, Poppin'

Baylees baptism was on Saturday morning. It was beautiful, she was beautiful and I will do another post on that later. I have to get this one down before all of the good stuff leaves my little brain.

After the baptism, we had lunch with the fam. We had a rousing good time (as usual) and everyone took off around 1 or 2, I really have no idea because I wasn't paying attention. I took a little siesta and then we headed out to an early dinner to round out the day. After dinner I was feeling kind of yucky (stupid ovaries) and went to lay down. At which point, the screaming began. I tried to ignore it. In fact I tried really, really hard to ignore it. But when Savannah came upstairs yelling, "Mom, Mom, Mom. Calebs arm, arm, arm." I ran downstairs.

Felix was in the driveway holding a screaming Caleb, even from inside the house, I could tell there was something very, very wrong with his arm. Most kids arms aren't shaped like a U. Hmmmmmm, I grabbed him, hopped in the back seat of the car and sent Savannah to get my shoes and purse. Once we had all necessary items (especially the daddy) we headed to the InstaCare. Caleb was still screaming and after 15 minutes Felix finally went and asked if we could talk to a nurse because we weren't even sure if the InstaCare could treat him.

We were sent back to the triage room, the nurse came in took one look and got the doctor. The doctor took one look and said he thought that Caleb fractured both bones in his forearm and we either needed to drive up to Primary Childrens ER or UVRMC ER. We chose UVRMC because we didn't have any gas in the car and we didn't want to stop just then. We drove down to Provo and signed in at the completely insane ER.

About 30 minutes later we were in triage and they said we aren't going to give him anything for pain because he is going to be knocked out when they set it. GGGGRRRREEEEEAAAAATTTT.

About an hour later we had the x-rays done. The wrong x-rays were ordered, but when the x-ray tech saw the first x-ray (which showed his radius in two pieces and crossed) she did the right x-rays...just to save time.

Time apparently wasn't our issue. We went back to the ER waiting room and about another hour later we finally got called back to an ER exam room. FINALLY. This all started at about 6:15 and it was now 9:15. And with no pain meds...it was very, very interesting. The nurse came in and started talking to Caleb and of course, the first thing that Caleb wanted to tell him was that he had three cats names Odin, Aris and Sephie. The nurse said, oh yeah, I have chickens. Caleb perked right up and said, Chicken...ooooohhhhhh, that makes me hungry.

And the giggles began. Everytime someone would ask Caleb how is was doing, he would tell them, "I'm fine. My bones hurt, but I'm fine." After seeing the doctor, getting in touch with the Orthopedic doctor to get in line for having his arm set, we spent most of our time (after the IV) shooting each other with syringes full of water. Hey, just because you are at the hospital doesn't mean you have to be bored to tears. Besides, if they didn't want us to squirt each other, they shouldn't have given us the syringes in the first place...and maybe, just maybe we could bug them enough that they would bump us up on the list and we could get out of there faster (NOT).

We finally got in to the Orthopedic room at about 10:30. Caleb told the doctors all about how he broke his arm, and there was blood in his bones (called marrow) and how he was sending mom and dad home and he was staying with his new friends. I think they would have kept him.

Then the sedation began. I love Ketamine. It really is a fun drug to watch. They prepped Calebs arm, hung a massive weight from it and worked on it until you heard a heart stopping pop. They removed the weight and took a million real time x-rays as the finished massaging the bones back into place. It was wicked cool to watch. Felix didn't even pass out, which was even cooler. After Caleb was casted we headed back to our exam room to wait for him to come out of his stupor.

It didn't take long for him to start coming out of it and you know, he was one of the funniest drunks I have ever seen. When he was able to talk Felix asked him if he was feeling better now that his arm was fixed. And with the most awesome slurred speech a four year old could muster he said, "I don't sink so." Very sing songy, very cute.

A few minutes later Felix asked him if he was Mommy's boy or Daddy's boy (a constant war in our home). He didn't respond, so Felix and I kept talking to each other. A good 3 to 5 minutes later Caleb said, "Mommmmmmmmmmeeeeeeeezboy". Right on dude.

Once he was awake we started the discharge procedure. We get to follow up with the orthopedist on Thursday to see if there was a secondary fracture in his wrist (we couldn't see it on Saturday night because of the manipulation for his Radius), and make sure that the bone is starting to mend.

It was a long, long day and night. Full of wonderful things, not so wonderful things and as a mommy, wonderment at how tough her kidlets are (especially since there was no pain meds until 12:30 when we got home). WHOA.

Lessons Learned
1. Hospital staff on a busy Saturday night really need some comic relief (that is what the Morgan's are for).
2. Calebs tolerance for pain, PHENOMENAL.
3. Having a U shaped arm is kind of gross lookin'.
4. Watching a 4 year old move his U shaped arm is really gross lookin'.
5. There is no reason to stop enjoying life just because you happen to be hanging out at a hospital.

Why Doth You Persist?

After listening to my children whine about cleaning up after themselves this morning, I finally lost my mind and went Shakespeare all over their behinds. The following is my attempt at mimicking (okay, mocking) them.

The same. It is always the same. Each and every Saturday this foul woman doth persist in the vile notion of 'cleaning up my own mess'. From whence in the depths of hell has she come? Why, oh why can she not see that which is plainly before her? Doth she not understand that we are above the menial tasks that are left for hand-maidens and wenches? Doth she not see that our station exempts, nay FORBIDS us to work? And yet continually, she spews forth the horrid words that haunt the very depths of our souls. How do we escape the incessant insistance to do this 'picking up'? Oh ye spawn of the devil, we pray you cease the call of these chores. Cease in the persistance of responsibility. CEASE I doth say unto you, CEASE. And now while we contemplate the unfortunate position in which we find ourselves, we have nary a choice but to continue to ask, over and over and over, "Why foul woman? Why? Why doth you persist?"

Lessons Learned
1. While I am not any where close to Shakespeare, it was fun pretending I was wearing a velvet costume with a high neck collar, spouting anti-chore prose on a stage.
2. I think I should make my kids talk like this all of the time.
3. I think I should talk to my kids like this all of the time.
4. Doesn't it make you feel so fancypants?
5. I just want clean bedrooms...is that too much to ask for?

She Actually Made It To 8

Today is Baylee's eighth birthday. Every parent says they are surprised that a child makes it to a certain birthday, but we really meant it. I mean come on, she was blessed in the hospital at 7 weeks old. Was diagnosed with arthritis at 2. Uveitis and Iritis at 3. And in the past year, Sever's Disease, Fibromyalgia and Autonomic Dysfunction.

Since her baptism is coming up in a couple of weeks, I really need to say, I am so grateful that she made it. We all are. The house would be too quiet without her. And while some days are a struggle, I wouldn't change them for anything because we are lucky enough to have her in our lives.

Mommy Thoughts (It's a birthday post, gimme a break)

1. The children don't always learn from the parent, sometimes we are fortunate to have it the other way around.

2. She is one of the best examples of not giving up I have ever seen.

3. The trials are worth it when you have each other.

4. There really were days I thought I might be the reason she didn't make it to this birthday.

5. Maybe now she is ready to work on 'Getting along with my brothers and sister.' Maybe.

A Concert for the Ages

Last night Felix and I went to the Fleetwood Mac concert. This was incredibly difficult for me, given my reaction to being in closed quarter with a whole bunch of people I don't know. Fortunately for me, most of the people who sat around us came late. And because we were sitting in floor seats, we had a little bit more space than in the Marriot Center.

I have to say going to a concert for a bad that has been around for so long is really interesting. I don't know how many bands can draw so many people from so many different generations.

The concert was awesome. I don't like loud music and crowded places, but I really enjoyed the music. Thank goodness my dear, sweet husband stopped and got me ear plugs for my sensitive little ears. Stevie Nicks will never be anything other than amazing. And it is absolutely fascinating to watch Lindsey Buckingham play the guitar.

So being trapped in my 14th row center floor seats, I decided my best option for survival was to people watch. Not the kind that goes up to the neighbors houses and looks through the windows to see what is going on, but the kind that when she is in a public place likes to see how other people act and react to what is going on around them. So in order for me to make it through the very crowded concert, I watched people.

10 Most Entertaining Concert People
1. The 2 older couples behind us comparing health ailments.
2. The couple directly in front of us that needed some privacy.
3. The peace sign drunk lady (it only got better when she started falling over the chairs), who was trying to convince the entire arena that we all needed to revert back to the sixties.
4. All of the people with hip replacements.
5. The poor, skinny white kid that shouldn't be allowed to dance in public.
6. The lady that kept trying to sneak up to the stage.
7. The husband of the lady that kept trying to sneak up to the stage, since he was trying to keep her from the stage.
8. The guy that was so drunk he forgot who he came with and started hugging all the women around him (maybe he was hoping for recognition the closer he got to the girls).
9. The guy dancing with the walker.
10. The guy whose earplugs kept popping out.

10 Most Annoying Things
1. The guy next to me that took his shoes off (yuck).
2. The smell of beer.
3. The guy next to me that felt it was his duty to expose my nose to his armpit.
4. The smell of beer.
5. The people that were seat hopping to empty chairs, and getting kicked out by people who had tickets for those seats.
6. The smell of beer.
7. The peace sign lady that forgot how to make peace signs and spent 2 whole songs trying to figure out which two fingers to use.
8. The smell of beer.
9. The couple in front of me that needed some privacy.
10. Oh, the smell of beer.

So, all in all it was quite the interesting evening. There is always something going on in the world around us.

Lessons Learned
1. I need to find a way to be rich so that I can own a box and go to events and not be by strangers.
2. I am so wacko...why can't I be normal?
3. My poor husband has to deal with my insecurities on SO many levels.
4. Maybe it's time for therapy.
5. Next time I might try valium.

Piezoelectric Transducer

Yeah, me neither.

Lessons Learned
1. I'm not as smart as my neighbor.
2. I think it should be called a flux capacitor.
3. Still lost.
4. Lost is the new normal.
5. Who comes up with the names for this kind of stuff.

I'm the Map, I'm the Map, I'm the Map...No You're the Map.

Okay, so this morning, Caleb and I were riveted by an episode of Dora the Explorer. The show had been on for a couple of minutes when we got to the ever important Map Song (I'm the Map, I'm the Map, I'm the Map, I'm the Map, I'M THE MAP). Then the question. It happens every time, but it never ceases to cause those little butterflies of excitement.

"Do you know how to get to.....?"

And Caleb, because he knows the people inside the TV can hear him says, "Ummmm, you're the map."

Lessons Learned
1. Sometimes things are even obvious for a 4 year old.

2. Why put forth effort where none is required...he knew that Map would tell him how to get there.

3. I never knew Dora the Explorer was so hysterically funny.

4. Laughing feels good.

5. I will never look at a map the same way again.

Schools Out for Summer....Let the Games Begin

Now that school is out for the summer, we can get the Morgan Version of the summer Olympics under way.

This summers incredible events include:

Long Distance Whining: the contestant works to achieve the longest time for whining over a single situation. Situations can include, but are not limited to whining over meals, playing with friends before chores, not wanting to do chores, being bored and looking for an entertainer, etc. Whatever the contestant is able to whine about for the longest amount of time.

Endurance Procrastination: the contestant is in a battle with him or herself to see how long they can put doing anything off until they absolutely have to in order to play. The winner will be able to do nothing, then accomplish all required tasks in record time to meet friends.

Ultimate Couch Potato-ing: the contestant that leaves the most resilient body imprint in the couch will walk away with the gold. Body imprint cannot be vacuumed out in a single try, or the contestant is automatically disqualified.

Boredom for the Alternative Thinker: the contestant that comes up with the most inventive idea for when the mom says, "You're bored? Oh, I'll give you something to do." If they are able to keep the mom from giving them a chore and entertain the most amount of people, the contestant will walk away with the prize.

Heavyweight Bickering: the prize will go to the contestant that is able to pick a fight over the most mundance of issues and keep the argument going longer than anyone else. The trick in this battle is to keep the fight going, yet end it as soon as the mommy walks into the room.

The Contendahs...........LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLE................

Savannah: Age 11, going on 12, already mastering the art of hormone Aytch Eeeee Double Hockey Sticks. Able to blame others with less than a moments notice and point out others failings, while pointing out her strengths.

Noah: Age 9. Able to annoy in a single breath, actually he can do it without saying anything. Can put his sisters in a frenzy by walking into a room and sitting down. This is one to watch for Couch Potato-ing as well as Heavyweight Bickering.

Baylee: Age 7, going on 8 (I am required to tell you this because she will get mad if I don't). Not willing to back down from anything and in her relentless quest of household supremacy, won't let anything or anyone stand in her way.

Caleb: Age 4. Doesn't have to work to be the king, he believes he already is. Willing to tell anyone (regardless of size) to "bring it on" and not back down. Rather than have a verbal argument, will bite to make a point.

Stay tuned for results at the end of summer for champions.

Lessons Learned

1. Kids, I hope you have a sense of humor...because this is really in good fun.
2. If not, please don't read this.
3. What summer is like from the mommy's perspective.
4. There will be good parts too...I just know there will. I think I can, I think I can, I think I can, I think I can run and hide if I am wrong on this one.
5. Let the adventure begin.