Today’s afternoon was hot, hovering in the mid 90s. That’s actually cooler than earlier this week when it was 103. We would’ve been fine inside the house but Ellis was having one of those headaches accompanied with vomiting. This means outdoor walks and fresh air to subdue those symptoms.
Trust me, I was not excited to labor under the sun at a snail pace walk for a prolonged period of time. There’s only short reprieve under the shaded trees, few and far in between. However, the change in Ellis’ demeanor is quite dramatic with outdoor air and she seems less preoccupied with her symptoms. Maybe distraction calms her nerves, thus lessening those symptoms. Elliot and I were red faced from the heat, but Ellis just squat down in front of our garage refusing to go inside.
Not wanting to create tension between the kids and wanting to clear Ellis’ headache away for good, I proposed bringing out our kiddie water table that had been stored away for donation. It’s meant for small kids as sensory activity play, but the weather called for it today.
We filled it up with water, dumped our old fishing toys in, plopped in ice cubes, and finally plopped our feet in the pool. It was a ridiculous sight with all of us holding a plastic fishing pole and vying to pick up the magnetic fish with the end of the pole. It was quality time spent on our island, which we appropriately named Kiddie Pool Island.
This morning felt like it was going to be a crummy day. Morning cardiology appointment involved throwing up at the office, followed with more at home and a lingering headache. But an old kiddie pool table gave us some afternoon laughs and coolness that we never expected. Thank God for how He could change the tone of our day with something that was stored away in our garage.
The rest of the afternoon involved rummaging out old toys they had outgrown and were stored away for donation. They were in tears laughing so hard from the sight of each riding the tricycle and jumping on the pink unicorn (it makes galloping sounds with rainbow lights blinking by the ears).
Although Ellis’ headache returned once we came into the house, a phone call to the doctor and new pain medication cleared it up. (So grateful the pediatrician and cardiologist were both at the office when I called). It was a relief to eliminate the need for going to the hospital again.
I. Can’t. This. Soon.
It’s amazing how God time and time again transforms a potentially drab and disastrous day into a memorable one. Thank you Jesus for changing the situation around. I was starting to panic big time. And thank you dear friend D. for witnessing my pain, affirming me, reminding me God love me and has is in control, again today.
Thank you readers for stopping by and reading about our afternoon! I’m so glad you’re here.
Have a wonderful start to this first summer weekend and stay safe and well. Peace and blessings ~ Esther
Categories: learning with kids Mom lIfe Play
singlikewildflowers
Welcome to my blog! My name is Esther and I'm so happy you are here. I'm an avid nature photographer and a daydreaming thinker. My posts revolve around photos of nature's beauty, homeschooling adventures with my 2 kids, sporadic reflections on my child's heart condition, Bible reading reflections, gardening feats, and other mish mash things. Hopefully you'll leave encouraged, pensive, or smiling at the simple things of life. Thank you for stopping by and hope you'll find some interesting posts to read!
sing like wildflowers 
Your children are so beautiful with their genuine laughing smiling faces. What a wonderful memory!
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Thank you for your sweet words!! That made my day…you made this mama very happy.
It was funny how we all realized the silliness of it but heck, we’re stuck at home, so we can imagine some island living.
Hope you are doing well and having a food summer vacation! Any more camping plans?
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Oh good! Keep on hanging in there girl! You’re doing g great!
I just found “Matilda” by Ronald Dahl at the thrift store! Woo hoo! That was your recommendation so it’s meant to be!
We have family camp at lake Hayden in Northern ID next month!
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Oh yea! It was meant to be. I think you guys will have lots of fun reading Matilda. My favorite character is Hortencia, the upper class student who is full of drama, character, and stories of what it takes to make it through the school with the horrid principal. We also enjoyed Pippi Longstocking.
Cool plans! Hope the Idaho weather is milder than the CA heat. It gets so hot here, and with the drought, it can look and feel a bit barren.
Let me know how Matilda goes. Also, the audible is hilarious.
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Thank goodness you thought of the fishing pool Esther! Having never been around kids, I wasn’t aware of such a toy, but you sure do look like you’re having fun and the worries of just an hour before are all gone with the unicorn ride. I guess Elliot didn’t get braces – he is laughing here with the tricycle picture. I remarked in an earlier post that maybe he got his braces as he wasn’t smiling in the B&W photo taken the day that Ellis was discharged.
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You won’t believe the amount of toys available for kids of all age ranges. It’s overwhelming and when you’re in the thick of it with small kids, it seems like you need it all. They sure advertise it like you need it for kid’s overall growth and development.
Yes, the afternoon was a blast. I was tired as a log afterwards. I’ll be in for more chauffering once Elliot gets his braces next year. His orthodontist says to wait until his last baby tooth comes out. He takes a conservative approach instead of going through the phase treatment while kids have their baby teeth. Works for me; I can’t add more to my schedule these days. So next year!
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I was supposed to get braces just as we were moving to the States, then I had no way to get to an orthodontist appointment as my mom didn’t drive and my father would have to take off work. I didn’t get braces until I could drive. They had to pull out two rear molars and allow wisdom teeth to come in up top in their stead. My wisdom teeth on the bottom came in a few months after I got the braces off, so had to hurry and get them out – not fun. You definitely need a break – next year works for you (and I am sure for Elliot too).
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Braces take commitment. I’m glad it’s been pushed off to next year…grateful our orthodontist is taking a slow approach. Ellis needed a jaw expander with hardware in her mouth, but we decided against that too. Once she gets all her adult teeth in, they’ll extract the four and start braces then. We thought long and hard about the expander but it just seemed an inconvenience when her gag reflex is already so active. My goodness…it’d be a messy affair. lol. It al works out somehow.
Did your mom learn to drive in the states or was it too hard on her health? I’m sure you must’ve felt a sense of freedom once you started driving…no longer dependent on others for rides.
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When I had braces, I was the only adult at that orthodontist’s office and there were three docs in the practice and I had the surly one. He would be watching as two assistants hammered with rubber mallets on my teeth. They were hammering away and I’d squirm and he’d jump all over me, not them. I had the braces that wrapped around each tooth though and wore headgear at night, not to school (college at the time) … had two sets of headgear for inside the house, plus rubber bands to connect them. It is so much easier now – yes, for both of them, wait a little. I’m sure the gag reflux might be difficult when they are working inside Ellis’ mouth, but the braces today are so different that I may be all wrong on how they work in your mouth.
My father taught my mom how to drive in a parking lot at Sears Department Store on a Sunday (when they used to be closed). This was not for her to drive in the streets (as she never did) but in case something happened to him while at the wheel, so she could take over and steer them to safety, stop the vehicle, etc. Yes, it was good when I got my license and parents bought the VW bug. I could take my mom out too … my father never wanted to take her places like grocery shopping and would make a big deal about going.
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What a horrible braces experience for you, and you paid for it. I hope you’re happy with the results because that’s a lot of pain and trouble they put you through.
Invisalign…that was discussed. I won’t know the full details until the treatment plan is finalized. I’ll be doing a lot of driving taking Elliot and then taking Ellis years later.
So nice of you to take your mother places. It must be frustrating when you need to go somewhere and can’t take yourself there. More than that, the pressure of someone waiting for you is awful too. Brave of your mom to learn, like you said “in case.”
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