A SPLITTING HEAD ACHE

So, I haven't even been at my new job for 2 weeks yet and I see the kids' school calling on my cell phone. I quietly answer thinking it was just going to be a recording or that one of the kids forgot their lunch or something. I was beyond wrong.

ME: Hello???

LADY: Hi, is this Brooke's mom?

ME: Yes it is.

LADY: This is the school nurse and I'm going to need you to come pick up Brooke.

ME: Is she ok???

LADY: Well, she was in the gym and a basketball goal fell on her head.

ME: WHAT?!?!

LADY: She's not crying right now but she's going to need stitches (as said in the sweetest most calm voice).

ME: (Jumping into panic mode) WHAAAAAATTT?!?!?!?!?! Are you kidding ME???

LADY: Yes, and the goal also hit her leg and she couldn't walk so you probably need to get it x-rayed to make sure it isn't broken. Oh, and someone will need to keep pressure on her head.

ME: Say whaaaattttt?!?!?!?!

I called Nathan on his cell phone from mine, which I rarely ever do while he's at work because he's really not supposed to have his phone on him due to safety protocal. He said he knew something was up just by me calling instead of texting. I barely finished telling him what happened when he cut me off and said he was on his way to the school. Thank goodness his work is only about 5 minutes away. Mine, on the other hand, is more like 25 minutes away.

It was the P.E. teacher's second day at the school. Poor guy. He's maybe 23 and Nathan said he was white as a ghost. He picked up Brooke and just ran with her to the nurse with blood pouring out of her head...Which is why the nurse thought she couldn't walk. Nathan said he saw her teacher before he saw Brooke and she told him to brace himself. They had just gotten it all cleaned up but he still saw all the bloody towels sitting there. Yikes!

I tell the girls in the office what happened and that I didn't want to look bad for leaving but, they demanded I leave right then and they would tell the lawyers. I tore out of there and drove like 90 the whole way. I'm about half way to the emergency care clinic when I get this picture on my phone from Nathan.

OMG!!!!!! That is what happens when a portable basketball goal with no water/sand/bricks or anything weighing it down is pushed over by some little terds that won't friggin' sit still. Grrrr!!!

Brooke started crying the second she saw me walk in the room. Awww my baby girl...She stayed in my lap the whole time. I grabbed a few toys from the car to distract her...Which was good...Thank you, mommy intuition. I held this numbing medicine on her boo boo for quite a while before they came to put in the staples. Yep, staples. The doctor said that way she wouldn't have to get painful shots in her head and, they would be easier to put in and take out because of her hair.We had her put ear phones in and listen to Justin Bieber songs in hopes that she wouldn't hear the clacking of the stapler. It was so quick that she didn't even have time to cry. She just said, "Ow, ow, ow...It hurts."Aside from seeing my daughter's head split open, the worst part was that we couldn't get the wound wet for about 5 days. Yea, that was not fun. Brooke did not enjoy this AT ALL. Brooke wanted to go back to school the very next morning because she said she didn't get to finish a Christmas project that they were working on. So she did. So many of the school's staff checked on her that whole next day. Most everyone already knows who she is and says how cute she is because of her bows but, now she's even more of a familiar face. The P.E. teacher called me at work and apologized repeatedly for the whole incident. I know it wasn't his fault but, it still sucks that it happened. It would be nice if the principal would at least inform the parents of the kids who did it...And they see the pictures of what their brat kid did to mine.

Oh, well. She was flopping around and jumping on the trampoline within a couple of days. We just had to constantly remind Cole to be careful when throwing a ball. Ohhh, boys and their balls...How they drive me insane!

One week later...

Brooke asked if she could take her bear and hold it while she was getting her staples out. Well, of course! She loves that stanky, old thing. She was excited to get to pick where we ate for dinner, too.

We were all smiles waiting for those staples to come out because it was really freaky seeing something that generally holds paper together shining from my child's head all week long.
Pop, pop, pop! And just like that those staples were out...Quick and easy. She said she didn't even feel it.

Look at how nicely it has healed up. Her hair has a weird hump going on now since the hair isn't growing in there. It's to the left of her natural part but hopefully it won't be that noticeable the older she gets.

BACK TO WORK

I'm still blogging about Thanksgiving at the end of February but whatever. Speaking of being thankful...

Thank goodness I put our Christmas tree up on November 1st and had the house all decorated early on because out of the blue I ended up starting a full time job the Friday before Thanksgiving.

That was complete chaos to do a very awkward 10 minute interview with 3 lawyers at 5:00 pm on Thursday, get a call at 6:00 pm that night asking if I could start the very next day, and suddenly have to put the kids in after school care just like that.

Oh, and then have the kids go from being one of the very last to arrive at school in the mornings to one of the very first. Not to mention, me having to figure out how to get my rear end out of bed super early and actually have make up on before noon. Like I said...Chaos.

This is right after I got home from my interview. Nathan forced me to take this picture. Grrr.

I'd been at home since Brooke was born...7 years. That's a long time that actually flew by very quickly. Except for Brooke's first year of life because that little beauty cried sooooo much and only wanted her mommy.

The last 3 1/2 of those 7 years I did real estate research but I officed from home, made my own schedule, and could do my work in my underwear if I felt like it. Of course, I didn't...because that would be weird but still. And even when I did meet with clients it was showing mostly dirty foreclosures so I just wore jeans.

Now, I work at law firm as a legal assistant and have to look slightly more professional on a daily basis. I have to admit that it's actually kind of fun dressing up after all these years though...Especially since I get to buy pretty clothes in smaller sizes. Yay!

I have to say, as crazy and stressful as it has been with me working so much and Nathan having to pick up the mommy slack, I'm still very thankful for this job. Obviously, for the financial burden it relieves but, also for the fact that I get to really use my brain again and feel like a productive part of society. Who'd a thunk it???

By the way...Your eyes are not playing tricks on you. I have no clue what's up with the font changing sizes. And I can't seem to fix it no matter how many times I slap this laptop up side its grill.

THANKSGIVING

It's still hard to believe it, but we actually had family come to visit us for Thanksgiving. My oldest brother and his wife and kids made the long trip out from Texas. There's not much to offer in this little city so, I was very surprised when they mentioned coming. It was a houseful since we can't quite accommodate people like we use to but, it was still very special to have them here.

We don't need no stinking turkey! Our family really isn't a big fan of turkey so, besides the fact that I don't know how to cook one, I just flat out don't want to. So we opted to do chicken kabobs and a few other things. Luckily, my brother and his family didn't care to have all the traditional stuff either so we kept things fairly simple. I will say that it was a huge step up from the tacos we had for dinner at last year's Thanksgiving.

It was raining so Nathan had to chill with the grill in the garage.Breanna and Brooke made cookies to serve as our only dessert. That's right...No pies.

And here's all of our Thanksgiving dinner. Pretty impressive, I must say, since we rarely have more than 3 things with a meal.
We also let the kids exchange Christmas presents the day after Thanksgiving.
Breanna made Brooke this beautiful necklace out of a domino...I'm thinking I may have to borrow this idea for some teacher gifts or something. Too cute!Nobody really wanted to participate in my infatuation of pictures so I didn't end up with very many good ones. And just like that the weekend was over and the Monday after Thanksgiving kicked off my first full week at a full time job...In an office...In 7 years. Say whaaaaa?????

NATHAN'S 31st BIRTHDAY

Nothing fancy...Just a day with the four of us. And a little dinky cake.

Nathan isn't a sweets person so cakes really aren't his thing but, the kids insist that everyone has a cake for their birthday.So, of course, I do it while trying my very best to ignore the heavenly aroma of cake batter. Mmmmm...cake batter. No no no no no...Just say no! Ok, maybe a dunked finger or two and one teeny slither of cake BUT THAT'S IT! Cole took the next two pictures...I guess I can't hardly blame an 8 year old for how weird I look when Nathan looks that good in the photo. Awww my handsome hubby!Now this is the kind of sugar I don't think Nathan minds :)

GREEN MACHINE FOOTBALL

As if running his own baseball team while dealing with his medication changes wasn't enough, Nathan went ahead and let a buddy talk him into being the defensive coach for Cole's football team, too.After the very first practice, he was pumped about it because he said it was so much more fun than coaching baseball. Baseball practice is a little slow and boring, especially when the kids can't seem to hit very many of the balls, but football tends to pack in a little more excitement.Between baseball and football, we had 4 practices during the week and 3 games on the weekend. Cole loved having stuff to do but, Brooke absoultely could NOT stand it. Nathan and I thought it was kind of fun but, it was very physically draining on him. That much I didn't like for sure.

I have to admit, the first time I saw these two guys standing next to each other on the field during a game, I was a little beside myself. Mostly, because I couldn't believe that my son was old enough to play full contact football but, also because his daddy was able to be out there on the field with him.

This is how Cole spent a lot of his time while on the field...Completely flattened.Needless to say, it was discouraging for him since he couldn't figure out why he kept getting knocked down all the time. Nathan could've so easily said, "Cause you're weak, boy!"We tried to remind him that it was only his first year playing and as one of the youngest out there. Acutally, we often had to remind ourselves of that little fact, too...If someone else didn't do it for us.The team was named Homestead Pest Control Eagles...AKA...Green Machine. Odd? Why yes. Surprising for these parts? Uhhhhh NO.
Cole will have to really toughen up if he wants to continue playing. I'm glad that he doesn't have that natural aggression factor like lots of the little punks out there because that would probably give us lots of problems at home but, a little aggressiveness goes a long way in such a rough and tumble sport.
We'll just have to wait and see what next fall brings out of him. He may completely shock us or he may just have to settle for being a future kicker. LOL!
If girls were there at the games or practices, Brooke was loving every minute of her social time...BUT if not, she would constantly let me know how much she disliked being there.You'll have to look really closely for Cole in the video. It's a lot of chaos out there but, he's usually the one running away from the play or lying face first in the ground. Poor baby had so many bruises all over his arms and legs all season long. We may as well have beat him with a stick because it looked awful. But he said it was worth it and loved playing football. Well, ok then...I guess.