Outside

Spring is here and all we've done lately is play outside!!!!! And I have not been quite as liberal with the sunscreen as I should be. But I do have the constant reminder in my ear telling me at all times. Sigh. I am just lucky to be putting sunscreen or a band aid on Landry's scar and on the girls faces. I will be better in the summer! Tangent. I should be packing boxes but the weather has been lovely.

Okay, spring is here and green and my absolute favorite time of year with the time change! Except for getting my children up. Pros: If I want to go run in the evenings, I can! If I want to pretend it's 7 pm at 9 pm, it's feasible! And having happy  hour on Friday nights on porches and patios, the best! Cons: Children and getting out of bed!

I realized a couple of weekends ago, when the bluebonnets barely came out in the hill country, that spring was arriving! And I am pumped about Easter weekend and bluebonnet pictures with all of our family; the Crowell's, Berg's, and Harcar's!!!! I'm really hoping they last until then but regardless it will be green! Last year it was not quite the picture of spring.

On Ranch Road 2323

Anyway, we have been outside a lot and enjoying this season.

St Patrick's Day I took the girl's down to the riverwalk downtown. I wanted them to see it green! Braving downtown without Matthew was kind of a big deal with two children and all. I probably won't do it again.

 
Laney loves cracking cascarones on her own head!

Landry doesn't quite understand the concept yet but kept peeling open the eggs.

And I keep forgetting to post pics of my wreath that literally took 5 minutes! I am so proud of it too because I used the pom poms from Landry's birthday and recycled them. The ribbon cost me $10 and I already had the wreath.  I'm thinking mine will be different from most since I am crazy pom pom lady with parties! I can't wait for the wreath to go on the new door.




We have gone to Cambridge almost every day! Here are some pics we took with the Sharpe girls and Adair!

We love our purple flower sandals from Target. And that we are back in sandals and out of boots! At least for today.

 How tall my Laney is getting to be!

Oh sweet Anna! I am so thankful that you are a #2 child that acts like my Landry! You are a stinker and I love it!

And I am so glad to have Sara Sharpe and excited that we both have girls and both sets will be in the same grade at Woodridge Elementary!

Anna, Laney, Sarita, Adair, Landry

This week we also spent time in our backyard that we will certainly miss!

Little feet and toes because they grow so fast. Too fast.

Landry making her pretty face. Reminded me to put on a band aid!

It isn't often I lay down in the grass and look up at the sky. We had a snack picnic and did this, watched the clouds roll by....

Landry being sweet and napping in Momma's lap.

Watching AHISD play baseball and the McDonough boys. Precious. I remember Southern in Abilene. The McDonough boys Connor, Jamie, and Robert consecutively #2, #3, and #4.

 I am going to miss living on Normandy. I realize how much I love this area. I hope to find new running routes, playgrounds, neighbors I see on the street, and grow into our new space! But for now I'm going to enjoy where we are and each day of Spring!

Yucky Week

Yucky Week.

Friday, October 14th- Thursay, October 20th to be exact.

We had a yucky week. The kind of week that I don’t even want to talk about; mostly because it typically ends in tears and my heart aches. Sigh. It is just too close but I know time heals and these weeks happen and they pass. And maybe I will look back and it will seem trivial. In the moment, I have been sad and disheartened. Mostly because being a mother is the hardest job in the entire world and balancing life has been a struggle at the Crowell household. I suppose I am writing about this to remember because maybe, someday I will be able to look back and think I was stronger or braver or better. I don’t really like to talk about and hope that somehow maybe writing will help.

Last Friday, October on my way into work—in Austin—I hit a deer.

I have driven on Ranch Road 2323 now for five years and managed to miss these animals but not this time. We were going to Llano to drop off the girls so that Matthew and I could go to Alpine. Matthew went out of town to Houston with work and I took the girls to the ranch Thursday night. The Crowell’s were to meet my mother in Abilene and she would watch the girls over the weekend. Well, I made it to the ranch at dusk seeing, a estimate about 100 deer. I left for Whole Foods around 7:10 am and hit the deer around 7:25. I never even saw it. Truly.

Matthew and I did go to Alpine despite the chaos. Here are a few pictures of our weekend. It was a short, simple trip to far West Texas to go to Clayton William’s Ranch Party. I really enjoyed the time away. The weather was nice and the small mountains were pretty. It always makes me giggle to think these hills are called mountains but it is a beautiful part of our great State!

 

 

You can't tell but we took a picture in front of Claytie's Aggie Boot shaped pool.

Come to find out on Sunday’s drive home, Landry had a virus over the weekend and ran a high fever. She had both of her sweet grandmothers to take care of her; thank goodness. Blip.

We got back to San Antonio and ready for Monday. You know how it goes- unpack the car, feed everyone, bathe the kids, get to bed. Voila! We were tired too and it was one of those nights I eagerly looked forward to my head hitting the pillow.

Around 12:30 am I woke up to Laney screaming. She had fallen off the bed. It was dark and I just picked her up, put her back in bed, and soothed her. Well, she kept whimpering and crying out every few minutes. Finally, I realized that something else must be wrong. Somehow in the fall she had sliced her thumb and her fingernail was hanging off! My sweet girl, she kept trying to be brave and go back to sleep when she was in need of a doctor and some pain medicine. She is such a brave little girl.

In the morning, we took her to Dr. Cevey. Well, after we took Matthew to work—as his truck wouldn’t start—another blip. And, I was supposed to have jury duty but this was rescheduled. The pediatrician looked at her thumb and we were sent straight to the ER. She thought that we might need to have the fingernail removed or straightened out but she may lose her thumbnail completely. I was devastated and had Matthew meet me at the Children’s ER at Methodist. The ER doctor came in and immediately said “we are going t have to cut it off” and simultaneously Laney starts screaming and crying. I believe she must have thought he meant her whole thumb. First we did several X-rays to confirm that nothing was broken and we were clear here. Then the doctor took a second look and decided not to remove the finger nail. Relief. I was anxious about sedating Laney and cutting her nail off. It is still attached and we are hoping that it grows back. And we made it through Monday. We learned how to dress Laney’s thumb and it appears to be healing nicely.

Wednesday rolled around and everything seemed to be getting back to normal. Until I got a call from Landry’s school that she had hand, foot, mouth. Well, this was minor in comparison but still something that we were concerned about. Apparently it had been going around in her class and she had likely already started it with the fever over the weekend.

At this point, we were still rolling with the punches.

Thursday was the hardest hit of all. We had Laney’s soccer practice and both girls were in tow. In those quick moments with children, well, I simply wasn’t paying close enough attention.  I was watching Laney and fighting with Landry over the wipes. She kept pulling them out of their packaging and I wouldn’t allow it. So, she snuck away from me and took them to the bleachers. She climbed up on the first row. Somehow she lost her footing and in slow motion she fell. During the fall she hit the cross bars and cut open her little forehead between her eyebrows. Immediately the blood started flowing and I grabbed her and headed for the car. I knew she would need stitches but my first concern was to stop the bleeding. My sweet Landry, my stupid self, it was such a tormenting drive and night. Well, tormenting week really. My heart still hurts. But someone grabbed Laney from the field and we immediately went to the Children’s ER; the second time in one week.

Upon arriving there we all were; crying. Laney cried as we pulled up thinking she was going back to the ER. Landry was crying over her pain and wound. I was hysterical over the week and what I knew Landry was about to endure. It still plays over in my head.

However, she was deemed the best patient of the day. They sedated her and she was quite calm; well for a short time and long enough to get five stitches. The doctor did an excellent job and I was quite critical. I’m not my best in those moments. I am too honest, brash, and emotional but I will always go to bat for my children; as all mothers do. As we left, the funniest moment, Landry screamed and screamed over having to get out of the hospital blanket. She wanted to take it home. Back to her little temper tantrum throwing self and it wasn’t even over the stitches. My toot.

Both of my girls; so brave and strong willed. I aspire to be more like my children.

Sigh. There it is. The worst week of my life; thus far. But if things truly come in 3’s—well we got hit and we survived. Barely. Still blessed, still in love with my family, and thankful to be here. 

Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon

There isn't much to be said about our past weekend, nothing eventful with the exception of lazing. We don't seem to do this quite often enough. In fact, as I'm typing, I realize my definition is not correct. Sunday morning I had a soccer game with two forty minute halves. I had not done this since my days of youth, so that was not lazy. However, my ability to do yard work and shop at the G.A.P. for the girls may qualify.

Here is the proof of our lazing in the backyard.

Matthew was hard at work this weekend. Actually, he played plenty of online poker (shhh! I might not should tell this!) and . When he gets in work mode though, I tend to just watch and enjoy. We finally put together Laney's birthday present from Mickey and Bumpaw!

You know the general rule of thumb, with the first child you are overly paranoid, worrisome, and anxious? Well, I do this with Landry too. However, I probably would not have let Laney stick grass in her mouth, or sticks, or leaves. Landry had a great time experimenting with the wonders of the world.

Ready to Roll down her new toy...

And again Laney just kept going down.

Also, the abundance of leaves that you see. Well, they are gone. Okay, 25-30% of the leaves are bagged. Yes, I did yard work! I raked and it hurt my hands. I do not like yard work. I do not like yard work AT ALL. I could think of many more things I would rather do with my time. But it was a beautiful day and I had already had my dose of exercise. I suppose I could have worked on my blog outside.