"H" is for Hernia!

Well, what can I say?  My stone never grows moss!  Every time that I think I might have a leisurely summer, it blows up in my face.  I have been getting ready for the summer institute that I attended at ODU last week (lots of work for my grad classes had to be completed before I even left home) and Tim noticed that Emily had this weird bulge below her belly button.  It didn't hurt and I blew it off as a swollen gland.  Two weeks later, it hasn't gone away.  And as I ask Emily about it (while she's standing stark naked on my bed) she laughs, and the thing bulges out like an Easter egg under her skin!  Didn't take much to figure out that this was a hernia (both Carrie and Timmy had ones repaired when they were little).  

We headed to Dr. B the next day and she confirmed it.  She also told me that doctors in F'Burg won't operate on a 4 year old but that we need to take care of it ASAP before it becomes a problem.  She gives me the option of "north, south, or west" so we pick west to Richmond.  I'm in the pediatric surgeon's office the next Monday, off to Va. Beach for my classes Tues-Thurs, back to KG on Friday for Garrett's 4-H training, then back to Va Beach on Saturday for my aunt's retirement party.  I use Sunday to learn to breathe again and then it's off to St. Mary's hospital on Monday morning at 4:15 AM to head to pre-op!  Busy busy busy!  We got delayed until 8:45 AM but surgery only took an hour.  Emily did great with the "going to sleep" part (they make the gas smell like bubble gum) and woke up in recovery with a puzzled look like "how did I get here?!".  We headed back home an hour later and spent the day lounging on the couch with a "Sofia the First" marathon!

On the wagon ride to the operating room!

Not quite awake yet in recovery.....

Getting there, but still very sleepy and slightly grumpy.

Perking up a bit!

Ready to ride in her chariot to the waiting car!

The Tooth Fairy's Visit!

 Wouldn't you know it, as soon as I finished a looooooong week at robotics camp, I came home that Friday afternoon to the announcement that Emily had a loose tooth!  That thing only got more wiggly all weekend, and by that Sunday afternoon, she promptly handed it to me while we were doing yard work!  Just said "Here ya go!" and plopped it into my glove.  As soon as I checked her gum, I saw the pearly white point of her adult tooth working its way up into the gum, so this baby tooth must have been clinging by a root!
Timmy reminded me that night that the Tooth Fairy had to find some change, so I "believe" she visited around midnight.  She left a nice note and $2!  

watching a movie, contemplating life.....who knows?!

Jason's first haircut!

Before the cutting began.....

 Yes, heavens to Betsy and honest to God, this boy has gone over 2 1/2 years on this Earth without a haircut.  What can I say--redheads don't grow hair!  Well, until they are teenagers and adults and then they get a giant thick head of hair, like I have in this sweltering heat.  But I digress....Jason has been rocking this willowy curl thing on both sides of his head forever.  Think Orthorodox Jew but not as neatly curled.  I talked him into visiting Great Clips with me, where he promptly told the lady, "I'm here for my hair cut!" about a million times.

The lady has spritzed him, combed it, and began to cut!

Jason kept saying "Hold my hand, mommy, hold my hand!" and it was completely adorable.  

Almost done!  It's unbelievable how much older he looks with the hair cut!

Meadow Farm Park

Since I knew that I would be spending this summer as a "stay at home mom", I did some research on where to take these kids so that I don't lose my mind (well, what's left of it).  I have Margaret, a.k.a. "Mum Mum", on retainer so that I can do schoolwork and crochet jobs twice a week, but what to do with the other 3 days?  I would go broke if every day involved a museum or Chuck E Cheese, so I found some parks within an hour's drive that we haven't checked out before.  Here are some photos from our visit to Meadow Farm Park in Glen Allen.  Very neat place!

The bag of tractors goes everywhere with us!

They even have a farm!  The kids petted the baby sheep.

"Ummmmm.....can I help you?"

Watching Annie-Elsie get her breakfast.

Mildred the piggy!  (20 months old)

Broken wagon wheels make for awesome photo backdrops!