NICU Reunion 2008

We went to the NICU reunion today for the first time since 2004. Back then they held it in the hospital cafeteria and it was way too crowded. Today it was held at Scott Stadium. It was still crowded and it was hot, but at least there was room to move around and breeze to help! After registering and putting Will's picture in their scrapbook we checked out the activities they had set up for the kids.The first thing that captured Will's interest was the volcano. Some nurses had set up three volcanoes and would put baking powder in and let the kids pour vinegar on top. That's when the hot lava oozed out! Will loved this. He's been playing Hot Lava in the living room lately. Everything but the throw pillow is hot lava and I regularly have my feet burned off!

Katherine did it too!

There was a magic show.

Will declined to have his picture taken but the nurses were nice enough to let Katherine decorate a frame anyway.

She made a hula skirt from streamers. Will made a flower from his hand print and a straw. it was pretty cute, even though he chose black for the flower.

He eyed the fishing game for a while before getting up his nerve to try it. He caught a hundred fish! (and his nose is growing!)

Will wanted to see "his ambulance" - the one that took him from MJH to UVA, but it had to leave to rescue some other new baby. He was satisfied to see the inside of this medical truck, and we were thrilled to use its shade!

This is just one of the many beautiful cakes that were offered.

Here's our neighbor and one of the NICU angels. She got Will a few times during his first few weeks there but then had him up in the Trans nursery for a few days just before we brought him home. She's the one who convinced us that it was okay to take him home and that he'd be better off at home with us.

Morgan didn't really eat both pieces!

With very little shade and nowhere to sit we found the empty bleachers and ate our cake peacefully. David and Will just chatted away on the top bleacher.

I've never seen this stadium so empty before.

After cake, Katherine did the limbo!

We stayed to watch the dancers but, as things were moving very slowly and we had things to do, we could only manage to stay for their hula dance.

Project 365: Day 152 - May 31

She's back!

The first thing Caroline did after unloading all of her (smelly!) stuff was to get her suit on and wander into the pool!



She was zombie-tired but full of excitement and stories about the fun the group had in West Virginia!

Boys

Veterinary Emergency Treatment Service

Our Junior troop went to visit Veterinary Emergency Treatment Services. Another troop leader is one of the veterinarians there and had offered to have us come in for a tour.

We got there prior to opening and got to see a lot of cool things including an assortment of foreign objects that had been removed from the bodies of various animals.

This is an operating room. The girls were surprised to find out that the vet used equipment similar to that used in a human hospital's operating room.

This is the animal nurse using the oxymeter on Katherine.

They use IV bags for the animals just like those used on humans.

While we were still there 3 dogs were brought in. One had been hit by a car, but was fine. One had stepped on something and his paw was bleeding. The girls were so sad to see the dogs like that but recovered quickly when we told them it was time for dinner!

Project 365: Day 151 - May 30

For years I saved all kinds of art work, mostly out of guilt. How could I toss my precious child's drawings? I couldn't, so I saved it all.

I've been tossing things lately.

I'm still feeling a bit guilty about it, but at least now I can take a photo and save it on the computer. Less clutter, less guilt. We can all be happy.

This is not art. This is an advertisement for Ache-B-gone, done for a word study class. I'm wondering why they can't just cut out the middle man (me) - why did this have to come home any way?

Project 365: Day 150 - May 29

Project 365: Day 149 - May 28

This girl's gone. She left bright and early Wednesday and won't be back until Saturday evening. It's lonely here without her. It's quiet too, not that she's the loud one. Somehow with one gone, despite the noise of the other three (and there's been plenty!) the house is just too quiet.

Anyway, she left with three teachers and 27 other 6th graders to go to The Mountain Institute for some hiking, climbing & caving. Whatever else they're doing I'll have to wait to find out.

She was so excited about this trip, she wore her hiking boots every day she could. I wish you could see them in this picture! They're lavender. Since when are hiking boots lavender?

Speaking of hiking boots, have I ever told you about the very first Christmas gift David gave me? Yup, hiking boots. They were nice too! I still have them. Can't bear to get rid of them even though they need to be replaced. They're light blue, which I thought was kind of way out back then - oh, twenty years ago!

Anyway, we're all looking forward to the girl's return in a couple of days. Can't wait to hear all about the trip!

Project 365: Day 148 - May 27

These are the boys next door.

They are Jack and Will.

Will to go with our Will.

Before they moved in there was a Caroline to go with our Caroline.

Before we moved in there was a Nigel to go with their Nigel and a Beverly to go with the Beverly down the street!

Project 365: Day 147 - May 26

Katherine got this kitchen on her 2nd birthday. Way back when she wore bows every day and was just so cute! She's turning ten soon - 10!!

I've been wanting to make more room in her bedroom and the only thing that could go was her kitchen She told me the other day that the only little girl she would give it to was Bella. We called Bella's grandma right away and were thrilled to find out that Bella did not already have a kitchen. Not only that, she was coming over to her grandma's house for a cookout that very afternoon!

So we all - the girls anyway - scrounged the playroom and bedrooms for signs of any kitchen-related items. We found everything, including the hair dryer, curling iron and curlers, and a crown and princess purse! Everything an almost 3-year-old needs!

Katherine and I got over there and moved everything into the house just before Bella arrived. She was so excited to find all of this wonderful stuff waiting for her! It made it so much easier for Katherine to give it away, seeing Bella love it all so much!

Now the girl has a reading nook between her dresser and bookshelf - just what she needed!

Project 365: Day 146 - May 25

Project 365: Day 145 - May 24

Hiking Humpback

David made history today by checking the map!

That's where we're going?!

Once again we're checking the map. How far is it?



Getting to the top was pretty painful. Between being totally and completely out of shape and having the whiny almost 5 year old along for the hike made for a really lovely trip. The boy only fell 5 times! No really!! Fussed the whole way too! Luckily for me I had the camera which gave me good reasons to stop periodically to take pictures! Nothing helped with the whininess.

But then we got to the top! He looks so much happier now!!

There were several places to go - and we hit them all! Two involved going up and once involved going down and then up. We did that first.

Will's exclamation made the uphill trip worth it - "unbelievable!" He said he thought he saw Texas!

After lunch, Katherine and Morgan decided to climb the rock face. Morgan scampered up without any problem. She has the benefit of being a bit taller than her baby sister. Katherine got up there too but had to work a bit harder to do it! Caroline claimed her spot on the ledge and declared that there was no way she was climbing up there. She'd rather go caving, which she'll be doing later this week!

Triumphant!

From the top we could see the parking lot below. So far down!!

Once we got climbing out of our system and scampered all over all of the rocks, we headed back down. Going down was much more fun and so much less whiny than going up! On the way down we saw some deer.


And a the very bottom near the parking lot, we found a patch of four-leaf clover.

On the way back to our car we passed through an old working farm. It was originally located several miles from this spot and was moved here in the 50s or 60s. Today there were 4 people in period costume working the house and farm.

One last look at the top!