Horrifying

We had an extremely horrifying experience with my Lil'Guy this weekend. It still shakes me up when I think about it.

It all started Saturday night. About an hour after we put the two amigos to bed, we hear this gagging sound. We jump up thinking one of them is getting sick. I hear it again as we are right by the hall.

Then I start running and I hear Lil'Guy crying so rush into his room. He is dry heaving and I ask him if he feels like he is going to be sick and he says yes. I then lead him into the bathroom and stand him over the toilet. He is continually dry heaving and gagging and then he says,

"I have something in my mouth."

I wasn't sure what he meant at first and then he started getting scared, eyes wide and tears pouring scared, and screamed it again. At this point I turn to Brewerman and start screaming for him to help him, and that he is choking, not sick. At this point, Lil'Guy is throwing up into the toilet and he is crying / screaming and jumping back and forth to both feet. I am worried because he is acting like he is in PAIN, not just choking (which he was).

Brewerman starts doing the Heimlich on him and then Lil'Guy shoves his hand down his own throat to try to get the thing out, getting almost wrist deep. I am screaming at the top of my lungs for Brewerman to help him and I was about a half second from telling Lil'Guy to get his hand out of his mouth, that it will make it worse, when he pulls out what was in his throat.

It was this piece of metal (it's the spring to a plastic pants hanger that must have broken in his room):



Added toothbrush so you can see the size.

I about threw up. The damage that thing could have done scares me, if he swallowed it, if it would have gone deeper down his wind pipe. What if we hadn't been up and didn't hear him?? He was so scared, if we hadn't heard him or was asleep, he would have been all by himself and we would have never known it.

Okay now I am crying again.
Although I know you aren't supposed to put your hand down your throat if you are choking, we are lucky though because he has little hands...if Brewerman had tried he would have just pushed it down, and no heimlich was getting that thing out.

Finally Lil'Guy calmed down and my brave little guy went right back to bed and, after a discussion about playing with stuff and putting stuff in our mouth, he went back to sleep.

The funny thing is the hours or so after it happened, I could only think about what if something had happened...and all the things I DIDN'T do with him that day. Why didn't I take 5 minutes and play a game with them? Why didn't I kiss him one more time? Why didn't I tell him how amazing I think he is? Why?? It's irrational, because I tell them every day how much I love them and adore them, but I couldn't help those feelings that came rushing to me.

It was a horrifying experience. I don't know what I would have done if something happened to him. That little man-child and his brother are my whole world. Never seeing that smile...being asked to watch "injun turtles" for the 1,097th time that day, hearing him and his brother giggle in the playroom, watching him stand up and "perform" for all the kids by making them laugh like a mini comedian...I tell you that would have killed me.

I can't imagine the pain of losing a child, and I can't imagine the pain of watching them suffer like that and not being able to help.

So today I am thankful. Thankful for his guardian angel for watching out for him, and thankful to have another day to spend with my Lil'Guy.

I took this picture a few hours before the incident. I can't imagine if this would have been the last picture I had of him. *tears starting again*:

And this picture the next day at a Rough Riders game. He got a foul ball and thought he was hot stuff:

It's the Little Things

Sometimes it's the little things in life that can rock your world.

Yesterday, we officially registered Lil'Dude into Kindergarten. It was sort of anticlimatic for me as I was expecting much more than handing in a few papers and sending my kid back for them to quickly test. I did see a bunch of my friends though that I didn't realize also have children that will be in Kindergarten!

But something happened while we were there that made my heart jolt more than the ever impending-Kindergartenism. Something that for the average parent would probably be no biggie, but for this mama to a child with ADHD...well...I could have cried.


Lil'Dude made a new friend, played tag with him, laughing whole heartedly without a care in the world....all.....by....himself.

That means he ran around (literally running circles around the other kids with his Tasmanian self), and held back. No tackling, shoving, or otherwise making children fly to the ground at top speeds.



It was amazing to see. It was like a big sign hanging around his neck that said:

"Mom. I'm ready. I got this."


Which in turn makes me want to cry again...but the happiest of tears.




Then as if to solidify the fact that he is no longer a baby, he officially learned how to tie his shoes yesterday evening. He has been working on perfecting it for a while, but he did it all by himself and the loops were even and tight. This makes me sad that he is so grown. But I have to admit my lazy-self is doing jumping jacks. Okay so maybe not jumping jacks but she did manage to lift a finger slightly and twirl it slowly.


So.


Kindergarten here we come.

Never go to Home Depot Hungry

I learned an important lesson about myself this weekend.

Never...EVER go to Home Depot hungry. Or if I am feeling particularly crafty and confident that day.

Why you say?

Because THIS happens:

And that isn't seeing the front seat jammed full of herbs and flowers.

Oops.

So what happened was...

We decided to add some edging and mulch to our flower bed, well..more like "bush" bed, and let's just be honest by that point it could have probably been deemed weed bed. So I decided to try to turn my tortured withered black thumb to green by adding flowers myself.

And off I went with my oldest son in tow to buy a few flowers.

Then all the herbs and veggies were 50% off. Then I got cocky and randomly had the thought that I could pull off a pot garden (he he he). Then I got hungry. Then I saw someone buying tomatoes and got competitive and wanted to plant some darn tomatoes too. Then salsa sounded good so I got jalapenos. Then I smelled the mint and thought of mojitos.Then Lil'Dude wanted the Peach Tree.

Then I forgot I drove our Explorer that day. Oops again. It was awkward driving with a tree tickling my ear but we managed. Mostly so Brewerman couldn't say I-told-you-so.

Then I remembered that I suck and don't even know what I am doing with any of it. That was about mid-trip home with my car loaded with things-to-be-planted.

So thankfully Vanerellian came to my rescue with her Little Tykes shovel and kids and we got everything planted and in pots. Then we read the misleading instructions to the herbs and veggies, had to re-dig them all up and replant them again. So, after that and a quick session involving staring at a large hole and deciding the best way to fill it while the kids were fighting/playing/fighting/playing/dumping water all over/fighting/begging not to go/jumping over hole/fighting/playing, we were done!

Brewerman worked his tail off getting all the edging in place and mulch laid in the front. It turned out quite gorgeous and even though it's not Picaso, well it's just what we wanted without doing anything too permanent or costly...or weeding and watering daily.

I don't want to be committed. I'm a playa.

See those little tiny spots of yellow in the front and on the sides? Those are my tiny flowers...
10 points for those who spot: Random Dickie's cup, creepy tree, dead clipped part of bush, and Donatello

And as for the pot garden (he he he) in the back here is what we ended up with:
Chives, Cilantro, Basil, Mint, Jalapeno Peppers, Rosemary Mild Jalapeno Peppers, Two Tomato plants, and a Partridge in a Peach Tree.

My Pot Garden (he he he)

Okay so I was a little messy and our grass needs some work. I get it but let's not get carried away here..

Oh, and I didn't do organic (as you can see), figured I need all the help I can get. Even from unpronounceable chemicals that promise double the growth. I choose to just ignore it and enjoy the fruits of my maybe-harvest.



P.s......Remember The Worst Easter Ever post!? Well...let's just say that plans are in place and I am making up for it baby! Easter - here we come!!