First Day of School

Wednesday was the kids' first day of school. Kenzie started Kindergarten (doesn't she look so grown up in her uniform?) and Mason is in 3rd grade. Most of you know that I teach 3rd grade at the same school and since it's a small school there is only one class of third graders. So, I am his teacher this year. So far it has gone well. Mason calls me Mrs. Stanley at school and understands that I will be treating him just like everyone else. I told him that it's like I am two separate people, teacher at school and mom at home. Kind of like a superhero with a secret identity. :)
We are off school today for "Admissions Day". Hawaii was admitted as a state on Aug. 21, 1959. The third friday in August is the official holiday. The kids and I did our "Saturday chores" today and I'm going to work on some things for school.
The holiday worked out perfect because I stayed up until almost midnight watching the Olympics. I love watching swimming and gymnastics and was so excited that the U.S. took gold and silver in the women's all-around. What was super cool was seeing Mary Lou Retton in the stands cheering them on. I was 9 during the 84 Olympics (I know I'm revealing my age!) and was just so blown away by her talent. I remember her picture on the Wheaties box. The best thing about her is that she continued to be a positive role model for years and years, even still today. I hope that todays amazing Olympic athletes follow in her footsteps by leading lives that are worthy of admiration. I get so tired of hearing about todays "role-models" who are not someone I would want my daughter to look up to (Spears, Hilton....) and athletes failing drug tests.
Anyway, I guess I've done enough babbling on.
Have a great weekend.

Thanks for the prayers!!

We went this afternoon for Mason's follow-up appt. with orthopedics. On the way there Mason said, "Am I going to get this splint off?" I explained that they said probably 4 weeks. He then told me, "I think I'm going to get it off." I didn't want to crush his faith but I tried to prepare him for keeping it on.
Then, Mason asked the first guy who took us back, "Am I getting this off today?" He explained that usually you have to wear it for about 4 weeks. Mason then said again, "I think I'm going to get it off." The guy said, "Well, that would be a miracle, unless you know a cure that we don't know about." I couldn't resist piping up and telling him that we've been praying. He didn't say much about that. :)
Well, guess what? Dr. Chen said to take the splint off and just wear the sling. I shouldn't have been so shocked, but I was. Mason's arm is still broken, but it is healing nicely and the dr. doesn't think he needs the splint and that it will just heal completely on it's own. Praise the Lord!
He did give us strict instructions not to play tag, 4-square, dodge-ball, or even start swimming yet. We go back in two weeks for a follow-up. He wants Mason to be very careful with his arm but I am so excited that the splint is off. I was getting concerned about the uniform situation.
God is so good and I know that this is a testimony to His grace and His healing power!
Now just pray that we can keep Mason fairly immobile and it won't be too frustrating for him to not participate at recess. :)
Again, thanks so much for all of your prayers. Prayer works!!

Another broken arm

Well, we have had some excitement in the last 24 hours. Last night around 6:30 Mason was playing tag at the park with some friends. The park is literally right out our back door. We can see the kids from inside the house. Anyway, he came in crying saying he had fallen while jumping from the slide. I guess when he jumped another kid ran underneath and Mason's feet hit the kids shoulder. This caused him to land on his arm instead of his feet. At first he said his arm felt numb. It looked normal and there wasn't any swelling that I could see. So, we iced it for about an hour but it was still hurting pretty bad. We decided all 4 of us would take a trip to the ER. The short version of this story is that we were there from 8:00pm-5:30am, made 4 trips to x-ray, had a morphin drip through an iv, and spent a lot of time waiting! Dr. Chen, the ortho Dr., decided to put a splint on it. His left humerus is fractured at the top, near the shoulder. We go back for x-rays and a follow-up on Monday afternoon. Dr. Chen believes that it will heal well because he is young. He wants to keep a close watch however because there is a small chance that the growth plate will be affected. We pray that is not the case.
Mason was an excellent patient. He cried getting the iv but otherwise was amazingly patient with all the waiting, especially considering how much pain he was having in the ER waiting room. (I'll blog about the ER waiting room a different day. What an interesting place!)
Mackenzie was also a trooper. She waited with the utmost patience and was very sympathetic and kind to her brother. She got to lay down in an empty hospital bed around 12:30 and people kept commenting on how heavy she was sleeping. She slept for about 3 hours.
Mason is doing great today. The kids and dad got caught up on a fair amount of sleep today. I went into work around 10am. We are having a really great guest speaker for our teacher training and I have a lot to do in my classroom before Wednesday.
One more prayer request. I hate waiting rooms because it seems we always get sick after being there. Please pray that none of us get sick. This weekend and next week are really busy and honestly I don't think I can afford to be home. I have way too much to get done!
Enjoy the pictures!

"The slide"

He's supposed to wear the sling, but we were instructed not to make it too tight or raise his arm up. The Dr. wants it down so that gravity can do its thing on that bone.
I have no idea how we are going to get his school uniform polo shirt over that! Bob is very opposed to cutting his brand new uniform shirts!
It's not all fun and games!