March is always a busy month in the Relle house. Mary Beth send the boys these matching Mardi Gras outfits. Jack wore his to school and Noah wore his around the house with me. :) After Mardi Gras comes Spring Break and Jack's birthday. Jack usually gets to celebrate his birthday a few times-actual day, at school with friends, birthday party with friends, & sometimes at home with family...he pretty much thinks from my birthday in February on his is the king...until Easter then he moves on to Christmas. Ironically Calendar is one of his favorite parts of school...he even has one from my school that he is begging for us to hang up in his room...and he wants to be a teacher when he grows up....that is something we'll be working on.
Jack had originally asked Santa for a training bike for Christmas. We talked with Santa who agreed that a bike would be a bit much to travel with from Louisiana so with a little persuading Jack asked Santa for a redo on his big ticket item and requested Alphie the robot. Perfect because Mommy likes Alphie, it was smaller, it is educational, and was in a good price bracket for Santa. Things worked out well because in the Spring Nick and I went to Divine Consign (Karen was not available and we'll never let that happen again....Nick slowed me down and was almost arrested or institutionalized) and picked up this bike for $7. Tossed in a helmet, some Trio I bought on sale after Christmas, and a few other odds and ends and we had ourselves and awesome 4th birthday! I was determined since we were having a big party that Jack would only need a cupcake for his actual birthday. But turns out a single cupcake is not acceptable and he needed a cake with a penguin on it for his birthday wishes. Well...after a lot of stores with no penguins other than Backyardigans the kind lady at Market Street agreed to put a penguin on the cake he picked out as a surprise for him. Olivia and the McWilliams came over to help him blow out the candles and then it was time to wait for the birthday party with friends. In between though of course he had cookies on Phineas and Ferb paper ware with his class.
Spring Break arrived which was bittersweet for me. I wanted to spend time with the family but that meant my time at home with Noah was coming to an end. Trying to forget this we enjoyed the first half with Nana and Gramps. While they were in town there was lots of treats, playing, and Gramps cooking up a storm. He discovered Market Street and saw why we love it so much. I scored a Groupon to The Heard Museum in McKinney for a family membership for a steal. We activated our account over Spring Break, packed a picnic, and hit the trails. Jack was most interested in the museum and the amphitheatre ("the rocks") but I think the more we go the more he will enjoy it...just needs to cool off for that since I'm updating the blog from March in July. Noah had fun despite the fact that we can say he had a "shitty" time because a bird pooped on his head while he was in the carrier. Gross! It was hard for me too because I love to lean over and kiss the top of his head but it needed bleach (just kidding) before I would kiss it.
Relle Clan in Texas!
Over Spring Break we had to get Noah organized for starting up at Watters when I returned to work on March 21st. We took his supplies up to school during the week so it would be easier Monday morning. While we were there Noah met some of his friends from class, his teachers, and was admired by all of the staff that knows us from when Jack went to Watters. Mrs. Rosa is on the floor with the children (since this is post dated-Ms. Rosa had to leave due to a family emergency and we will miss her a lot. She worked with Jack when he was in the Toddler room at Watters). Mrs. Edna is the lead teacher and she is GREAT! She has over 20 years of experience, lets me call & check up on Noah-& text so she stretches out bottles so I can nurse Noah when we get home, and loves my baby so I can't ask for anything more (well I could...but I'm blessed so I won't be greedy..at least not out loud-hehe!). The owner had texted Mrs. Edna the morning of Monday, March 21st to remind her that it would be Noah's first day and that I would likely be a mess. Well, Nick took Noah and Jack to school so I could get to my room and catch my breath (I didn't go up at all to prep for my first day back after being gone for over 4 1/2 months-CRAZY HUH?!?). When I went to pick him up that afternoon Mrs. Edna said that Nick walked in acting like he was so stable and left crying like a baby....How lucky are the boys and I to have Nick in our lives loving us the way that he does?!? But, for the record I have taken Noah to school pretty much everyday since then and have yet to shed a tear there, at work, or at home...amazing what medication can do for a mental mama like me.
Toward the end of the month it was a Sunday evening when we had just plopped down on the couch to watch Criminal Minds after getting the week prepped for The Relle Clan (an undertaking for sure). Jack has trouble falling asleep (wonder where he gets that from) and often comes out of his room MANY times a night before being able to wind down. We've seen things like: I've got to go to the bathroom, I'm cold, my hair hurts, I found a hole punch on the floor, etc. So the fact that he came out squealing like a girl saying he needed to throw up wasn't a shock (he has recently been sick and throwing up got him out of bed, in our bed, and tasty pedialyte). We told him to go to the restroom and then all but rock, paper, scissored to see who would get up to check on him. Before we decided on a winner/loser Jack came running back out grabbing his throat and in a mess of words/gasps while leaning forward complained about his throat and was able to get the sound "mon" out when it clicked with both Nick and I at the same time what he was saying. We both flew over to him, were throwing questions at him that even someone without a dime in their throat could never have responded clearly too, all while banging, grabbing, & flipping to get the coin out. Without getting clear answers because his breath was not steady, Nick ran into his room and the coin from the bedside table was gone, Nick grabbed Jack and they were out the door headed for Presby Allen because it was the closest. That was the scariest moment of my life! I was picturing the worst in my head, trying to remember the steps to take in an emergency, and feeling guilty because we had not prevented the situation nor had we responded when he first came to us for help. Angela came to stay with Noah (Thanks Angela-I called her in a bit of a panic), I made Jack talk on speaker all the way to the hospital so I would know he was alright (no way I could have stayed here knowing nothing til I got there), the wait was pretty long because he was not in distress upon arrival, the x-ray showed the dime which was already far enough down to not require any medical interventions at that time, and we were back home late. The discharge instructions were to wait til it passed and if we didn't have proof within two days to bring him in for another x-ray. He did go to school the next day (we forgot to have them keep his stool if he went at school-next time, which there better not be we'll send our kid in a Pull Up-but they told us they would have searched for us had this been the case-how GREAT are they....then again, easier to say that when he hadn't and was being picked up). In fear of additional medical bills, surgery, and everything else I googled we sped up the process with advice from the pediatrician since we promised it could not possibly be a battery and out came the dime. Nick has cleaned it up and is placing the hospital bills that we are still getting into the bag for Jack. That 10 cent dime to date is worth $547! Who would have thought? Jack is so smart, anal, and knows better...so glad it turned out alright-and he knows now for sure that nothing goes in your mouth that you don't eat....at least I hope he does!
I knew that Jack had come a long way at school in all academic areas (just like first graders....come back from the winter holiday and BAM....new students) but one afternoon he was in my classroom and I looked up to see this....was so proud I left it on there for a week easily. Made me smile every time I looked up at Jack's name and smiley face....He is growing up too fast, but I am so proud of who he has become and who I know he will be!
