Sitting pretty.
May 30, 2013
Lexi and the field trip
The kindergarten classes are having several field trips this month and today was the day that I volunteered to chaperone. We went to the nature center in Rock Creek Park. There was a scanvenger hunt for things like leaves and sticks. I was in charge of Lexi, her friend Ruth and this boy called Randolph. Everyone seemed to have a good time running in the woods and picking things up. It didn't feel very educational to me but good for the kids to be out in nature.
I also learned that Lexi is something of a mediator in her class. The teacher called for the "Special Friend" and Lexi cam running up. Ms. O'Connor told her which two friends were having a problem. Lexi then went and talked to the friends and I guess, straightened things out. Ms. O'Connor said she plays this role a lot; all the kids listen to her and they do what she tells them. I did notice that she was kind a of ring leader - leading our little group around, shouting directions, etc.
Lexi was very pleased that I was there. It seemed really important to her that I came.
I also learned that Lexi is something of a mediator in her class. The teacher called for the "Special Friend" and Lexi cam running up. Ms. O'Connor told her which two friends were having a problem. Lexi then went and talked to the friends and I guess, straightened things out. Ms. O'Connor said she plays this role a lot; all the kids listen to her and they do what she tells them. I did notice that she was kind a of ring leader - leading our little group around, shouting directions, etc.
Lexi was very pleased that I was there. It seemed really important to her that I came.
Natalie visits the Emergency Room
Monday evening Lexi, Natalie and I walked over to the local Thai restaurant for dinner with Auntie Michelle. On the way back, Natalie did not want to hold my hand when we crossed the street. I had a fairly good grip on her wrist when she yanked away from (I didn't let go) and I heard two pops like when someone cracks their knuckles. We get to the other side of the street and I sense that something is wrong though it is hard to know for sure. She was crying - but was that because she was mad that I wouldn't let her walk without holding hands or was she hurt? Her right arm was limp when I picked up her hand and there was no resistance there. I carried her home and when we got there, Natalie still wasn't moving her right arm at all. I felt but didn't feel anything poking out so I assumed nothing was broken. My guess was that she had maybe dislocated her shoulder.
Natalie had mostly stopped crying but as we couldn't get her to use her arm at all, I decided we would get it checked out at the emergency room. Lexi grabbed some books while I put the leftovers in the refridgerator and then we were off to the Children's Hospital ER which is just a 5 minute drive from our house. No one was ahead of us in line so we were checked in immediately and were seen by a nurse practioner probably within 10 minutes. I explained why we were there (I probably explained what happened at least 6 times) and the nurse felt Natalie's arm, shoulders, etc. Natalie still wasn't using the arm and was kind of cradling it against her body; still no major crying. She was diagnosed as having nursemaid's elbow which is common I was told in the under 3 set. The elbow pops out of joint and just needs to be put back in.
So that is what the nurse did - by moving Natalie's arm down and then up. She cried then. We were told that usually in around 10 minutes, the child will be ready to move the arm again. Stubborn Natalie didn't. They tried to tempt her with stickers, a frozen ice pop and hospital staff badges. They tried with a clementine orange - she grabbed it with her other hand. They did give her some pain medicine and two others felt her arm, but thought it was back in place. They scheduled us to go get it x-rayed. Lexi had to go to the bathroom so all three of us went; Natalie did lift her arms in the bathroom slightly when I asked her if she wanted to wash her hands, but she still wasn't really moving it. Off to the x-ray room we went where I had to hold her arm down in different positions on the table she was laying on. When we got back to the room where Lexi was waiting, Natalie slowly started moving her arm. Soon she and Lexi were wrestling around on the floor with Natalie using her right arm unhesitently. I was ready to go home but since we had the x-rays done, they had to be looked at. Roughly 3 hours after we arrived, we finally made it home - and all went straight to bed.
Natalie hasn't been bothered by her arm at all since then though I am a bit nervous about holding her hand. They told me it was more likely to slip out of place again now since it had already done it once.
Stephen is in New Mexico for work so he missed all of the excitement.
Natalie had mostly stopped crying but as we couldn't get her to use her arm at all, I decided we would get it checked out at the emergency room. Lexi grabbed some books while I put the leftovers in the refridgerator and then we were off to the Children's Hospital ER which is just a 5 minute drive from our house. No one was ahead of us in line so we were checked in immediately and were seen by a nurse practioner probably within 10 minutes. I explained why we were there (I probably explained what happened at least 6 times) and the nurse felt Natalie's arm, shoulders, etc. Natalie still wasn't using the arm and was kind of cradling it against her body; still no major crying. She was diagnosed as having nursemaid's elbow which is common I was told in the under 3 set. The elbow pops out of joint and just needs to be put back in.
So that is what the nurse did - by moving Natalie's arm down and then up. She cried then. We were told that usually in around 10 minutes, the child will be ready to move the arm again. Stubborn Natalie didn't. They tried to tempt her with stickers, a frozen ice pop and hospital staff badges. They tried with a clementine orange - she grabbed it with her other hand. They did give her some pain medicine and two others felt her arm, but thought it was back in place. They scheduled us to go get it x-rayed. Lexi had to go to the bathroom so all three of us went; Natalie did lift her arms in the bathroom slightly when I asked her if she wanted to wash her hands, but she still wasn't really moving it. Off to the x-ray room we went where I had to hold her arm down in different positions on the table she was laying on. When we got back to the room where Lexi was waiting, Natalie slowly started moving her arm. Soon she and Lexi were wrestling around on the floor with Natalie using her right arm unhesitently. I was ready to go home but since we had the x-rays done, they had to be looked at. Roughly 3 hours after we arrived, we finally made it home - and all went straight to bed.
Natalie hasn't been bothered by her arm at all since then though I am a bit nervous about holding her hand. They told me it was more likely to slip out of place again now since it had already done it once.
Stephen is in New Mexico for work so he missed all of the excitement.
May 27, 2013
Natalie
I feel like we haven't done a good job noting all of the neat things about Natalie. I often think "oh, I should write that down" but it doesn't get done.
Her latest thing is that she likes to sit on the bar stools at the breakfast bar. It makes me a little nervous but she seems really steady and always asks when she wants to get down. We try and sit near her to hopefully, be close enough to catch her if needed!
She also wants to sit in a regular chair now and not her high chair. I got out the booster seat and she seems happy to be there. Her high chair does turn into another kind of seat - we just have to figure out how to get the baby seat off. I hope Stephen remembers as I do not.
Natalie also loves being outside. It is hard to get her to come in after playing outside. She can go up and down the back porch steps on her own and she carefully avoids the stairs down to the basement. She hasn't figured out how to climb up the slide so that she can slide down on her own but I figure that she will have mastered it by the end of the summer.
Natalie continues to love to eat though she does say no to some foods - though not consistently the same food. I guess she just doesn't feel like eating chicken some times. :) She seems to have the same sweet tooth as Dad and Lexi. Bananas still rank as a favorite food and she also likes broccoli a lot. She can ask for a granola bar (just like her sister) and helps herself to things in the snack drawer - even we think she should be full.
She's also tall - the top of her head is higher than the dining room table and several of the 2T dresses have to worn as shirts as they are too short. She still has plenty of clothes that she can wear.
Overall, Natalie is a delightful child. People are always commenting how cute and happy she is. It's hard to believe that in roughly 15 months she can start pre-kindergarten. It just seems like she will feel too little still. She will be the youngest in her class with a birthday 1 day before the cutoff.
Her latest thing is that she likes to sit on the bar stools at the breakfast bar. It makes me a little nervous but she seems really steady and always asks when she wants to get down. We try and sit near her to hopefully, be close enough to catch her if needed!
She also wants to sit in a regular chair now and not her high chair. I got out the booster seat and she seems happy to be there. Her high chair does turn into another kind of seat - we just have to figure out how to get the baby seat off. I hope Stephen remembers as I do not.
Natalie also loves being outside. It is hard to get her to come in after playing outside. She can go up and down the back porch steps on her own and she carefully avoids the stairs down to the basement. She hasn't figured out how to climb up the slide so that she can slide down on her own but I figure that she will have mastered it by the end of the summer.
Natalie continues to love to eat though she does say no to some foods - though not consistently the same food. I guess she just doesn't feel like eating chicken some times. :) She seems to have the same sweet tooth as Dad and Lexi. Bananas still rank as a favorite food and she also likes broccoli a lot. She can ask for a granola bar (just like her sister) and helps herself to things in the snack drawer - even we think she should be full.
She's also tall - the top of her head is higher than the dining room table and several of the 2T dresses have to worn as shirts as they are too short. She still has plenty of clothes that she can wear.
Overall, Natalie is a delightful child. People are always commenting how cute and happy she is. It's hard to believe that in roughly 15 months she can start pre-kindergarten. It just seems like she will feel too little still. She will be the youngest in her class with a birthday 1 day before the cutoff.
May 17, 2013
Math test
Lexi had a math test on Thursday. They were doing simple addition and subtraction. I think she was kind of nervous about it. The worksheet she brought home to practice with made her pretty anxious. She did half the subtraction problems as addition ones - and got them right, if they really were additions. When we talked through what the minus sign meant, though, she knew and I gave her a way to handle the problems that seemed to help. She said she did fine on the test; I am sure she did.
I sure don't remember doing this much math in kindergarten - I think all we did was counting.
I sure don't remember doing this much math in kindergarten - I think all we did was counting.
Kissing
If you ask Natalie for a kiss, she leans her head down. She seems to think that touching foreheads is kissing. :)
She continues to be a chatter box and every once in a while, we can understand clearly what she is talking about. She still doesn't say her own name that I can tell
She continues to be a chatter box and every once in a while, we can understand clearly what she is talking about. She still doesn't say her own name that I can tell
May 3, 2013
Lexi reciting poetry
A "dress rehearsal" for this afternoon's poetry performance by the after school care gang at school
May 2, 2013
Teeth!
I think Natalie's 4 canine teeth are coming in all at once! One has definitely poked through.
Stay tuned!
Stay tuned!
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