Jonah had a Birthday!!

Dear Jo-Bear,

You turned nine.  You had an awesome Lego party.  You picked great guests, you played some super fun games and your Daddy made  you a yummy cake.  Really, does it get any better?



I'm so proud of you, my nine year old boy.  You are smart, funny, happy, and so much fun to be around.  What more could a mom want?  I love you!

Mom, I Broke My Arm

Dear Jo-Bear,

These are just the words that a mother wants to hear. Here's the story:

You had about a week of Christmas break left. It was a gorgeous sunny day and we headed outside to enjoy the park that is 15 steps from our front door that you have been playing on since you were 2.

Kariah and I had walked down the sidewalk to get the mail and were about 30 feet away when I heard you yelling "ow! ow!" in a way I had never heard. I started running but when I got there 5 seconds later, you were walking towards me. Marcus was dancing around, worried but I couldn't tell which was greater: his worry for you or his worry that he was somehow in trouble.

You were holding your arm, said that you had slipped, and "Mom, it's broken."

Now I hadn't seen it and I'm really not an over-reactive mother, so I asked you to sit down and take a rest. I had Marcus point out where you were and if you had simply fallen, there was almost no way you could have broken your arm. I've watched you jump from that platform about a million times.

I sat down next to you and you explained that you had been sitting on the platform, with your arm in the railing. You slipped off the platform and hung by your arm. You hauled yourself back onto the platform and climbed down the steps. Then you insisted again "Mom, my arm is broken."

At this point you still weren't crying, at all, but you were starting to turn pasty white. I figured it was worth an Urgent Care visit just to make sure. I called a family in the ward with two teenage girls and one was there literally within 5 minutes, even before I could get all three of you back in the house.

I piled you in the van and drove the whole 1/4 mile to the nearest urgent care. There was practically no waiting (I swear those things are like 7-11's now, they're everywhere).

We were all pretty sure it wasn't broken, because again you hadn't shed a tear. You were even paler now and hadn't said a word since we got there. I had to leave you alone in the x-ray room since pregnant mommies aren't allowed.

The doctor walked in moments later, "It's broken." He gave us instructions to see an orthopedist to set it and instructed the nurse to put it in a splint. Pain? tylenol and ibuprofen. Now I'm in shock and you were triumphantly right.

Splint gets put on and even I can see that it's not really what you need. We come home and put Kariah down for a nap and ship Marcus off to a friend's, and try to get you some rest. Then I notice your fingers are turning blue.

As in all medical crisis, I called Aunt Michelle. She taught me how to press your fingernails to check for good circulation. She also insisted that I call our pediatrician and get a quick follow-up appointment.

So by 2 pm, we are off to doc #2. The first thing they said was that the splint needed to come off, then they said we could have it set the next day by a doctor in the practice. Then she said that we could get a much better splint if we hurried to doc #3. Then she gave us a prescription for a good painkiller.

Doc #3 made a custom splint that was soooo much better. We finally got home at 6:30 that night. My good friend Ann took care of Marcus and Kariah and I owe her big. Your fingers returned to normal. You picked green for your cast the next day and for a cast, it's awesome.

The break is in your forearm, about 2 inches lower than your elbow. The location necessitated a cast that covered your elbow and immobilizes your arm in a bent position. But the doctor who set it, said that it was a good, clean break that historically heals quickly and easily.

You've had a couple rough days. It started with the fact that everyone, from family to friends to strangers, wanted to know all about it and shower you with attention. Turns out you really, really hate that and you were grateful it's winter. You wear long sleeve shirts every day, mostly to cover the cast.

You've also had some pain here and there but after the first few days, it was nothing ibuprofen couldn't handle.

Everyone, Grampa, Dad, me, everyone would have put money on Marcus having the first broken bone in our family. But you shocked everyone. I hope you heal quickly and easily. The cast is supposed to come off this upcoming Friday but even last week, you had a day of pain. Fingers are crossed. Well, not yours but mine are, for you.

I love you Jo. But don't ever do that again.

Flashback Friday: Jo

Dear Joey-Bear~

Life is good for you right now. You are doing so well in your piano class. You teach Mommy everything you learn, so maybe someday Mommy will be able to play piano too. But you are already way better than me.

The weather is finally cooling off so you're enjoying a little freedom outside at the park, zooming up and down the hills on your scooter.

I'd say your only challenge right now is the Accelerated Reader (AR) program at school. You read these books, at a pre-determined level, then you sign up to take a computer quiz that checks your comprehension, then you take the quiz, then you sign up to go to the library, then you go to return your 2 books and get 2 new ones. Then the process starts all over again.

Well, see here at home, you read 100 page long chapter books for fun. And your score on the quizes are 100%. So I really didn't care very much that your amount of books read was less than the class average. I knew you are an amazing reader and I wasn't worried.

Turns out that there's a big bulletin board in your classroom on which everyone has a rocketship. It moves towards a goal determined by the amount of books you've read and tested on. And you were in last place, week after week. And I had no idea. I am so sorry.

So now, we agreed as a family to help you catch up and stay caught up. So, we go early to school everyday to take the quiz in the computer lab, then we go to the library to check out new books. Then at home we constantly checking in, reading more, determining where in the process you are and what the next step is.

I think about how you are my first and you are my "learning child". By the time Marcus gets to the same place, I'll have all this figure out. But with you, well we are always going to be learning together.

And I have a feeling that more often than not, you are going to be teaching me. Lucky for me, you are a really good kid.

Jonah, I love you.

(Christmas 2005)

Party Time!

Dear Jo,

In our family we know how to celebrate. We celebrate birthdays for not just one day but lots and lots of days. Family parties, friend parties, more family parties. Do we know how to party or what?

For your friend party this year, we went to USA Gym where you and your closest 14 buddies (just one girl, poor Hadley) had the run of the entire gym. Daddy made sure you all had a great time by launching you at full speed into the foam pit via huge ropes. Even Riah had fun toddling around and jumping on the trampolines with Mom.

After 1 1/2 hrs you and your whole crew were beet red, sweating profusely and loudly proclaiming "This was the best party ever!". Music to a Mommy's ears. And wallet.

And then we were Blessed

Dear Jo-Bear,

When Daddy and I were first married, the thought of children was distant. Very distant. Then we moved to Utah.

And we realized how much "fun" it would be to have kids. So six months after we were married, we started "trying" to have a baby. We even got rid of our car with no heat and no seatbelts and bought our first real car together, the black Jeep, in preparation for our new bundle of joy.

Months went by. Then a year. We began to learn what it meant to be on the Lord's schedule, not ours. Finally we knew you were on your way. And boy were we excited!! And to find out you were a boy! That was very exciting, we both wanted a boy first as we both felt like everyone needs a big brother.

My pregnancy went very well, right up till the end. Then on the my due date we realized I had gained 7 lbs in the last week, probably water given that my ankles were about 2 miles across. Dr. Holmes decided we should induce and I didn't have the energy to argue.

I'll spare you the long, drawn out, never ending story but when you were born, all 8 lbs 8 ozs of you, it was the happiest moment ever for me and Dad.

I have wonderful pictures of it none of them are digital because you are that old!! I promise I will scan them soon and put them in.

And now you are seven!! My big, big boy who is so smart, and so nice, and so funny. From the moment I knew you were coming, I have loved you. And I always always will.

Jonah VS Darth Maul. Oh the triumph!!

Dear Jonah,

One of the biggest highlights for you was the Jedi Training Academy. As a boy who received Star Wars figures on his first birthday, knows the ins and outs of all 7, yes, 7 movies, and even has mastered all of the levels on the video game, the chance to go to a real Jedi Training Academy is beyond comprehension.



We happened to be walking by just when one was starting. We made you put your "1st Visit" button on your $3 Wal-Mart hat and wait to be picked. Luckily you were. At first I thought Marcus wanted to be picked too but it turns out he was petrified with fear!!

You were given a Jedi robe and a lightsaber. Master Windu and other Jedi Masters trained you and then DUM Da DUM!! Darth Vader AND Darth Maul showed up, with a bunch of Storm Troopers. You personally fought off Darth Maul, and even force-pushed a Storm Trooper. Darth Vader tried to get you over to the Dark Side but you resisted.

I was so proud of you!! You did great and were so brave! Marcus was practically in tears, I thought he was afraid you were going to get hurt, only to find out later, he was terrified Darth Maul was going to come into the audience. And truly he was very scary!! But you both made it out alive.

May the force be with you Jonah.

Jonah +Homework = Drama

Dear JoBear,

Oh the homework struggle. After months of whining and tears we finally figured out a (better) solution. Everyone goes to bed early and you and I get up before everyone else and do homework together.

You, my smart boy, are all smiles when you get your math facts done on the bus, making morning homework time shorter.

Yesterday you got off and showed me 100 Math Facts and bragged that your friend had done them for you, aren't you lucky? When I explained that we would have to erase them so that you could do them, you burst into tears. Why? Because, you explained, if you had known that you would have just done them yourself, now Homework Time will take forever!!

And today, for Teacher Appreciation Week, you wrote Ms. Schmidt a letter and this is what it said. I quote,

Dear Ms. Schmidt. You are a good teacher. I leaned a lot. I just wish school was a little shoter. My favorite part is homework because i do with with my Mom. Love, Jonah

It's a beast, I know. But you are so smart!! And so loved.

Rite of Passage

Jonah with Ms. Schmidt, his (very pretty) teacher

Dear JoBear,

Last night we went to your 1st Grade Music Performance, which consisted of 8 songs intermixed with poetry. The dress criteria was a storybook character or simply nice clothes. You chose Rex from the Clone Wars, insisting he was in one of your books in a story so it was okay. As I watched, a (very shaky) video camera in one hand and your (very whiny) baby sister in the other, I realized why it all felt so surreal.

Here I was, with gaggles of other moms and dads and video cameras, watching my own little first grader. My very first. These little rites of passage keep coming, when I realize more and more that I really am a Mom, not just in my own little world. I really do have my very own almost-seven-year-old who waves at me from the bleachers and points out his name in the program. "That's my son" I say to the grandma sitting next to me. Obviously proud of you, but also in wonder that I could even have a son like you.

When did this happen? How did I get here? It feels like yesterday I was on stage singing in my own performances, looking for my own family's faces. When did the roles change? When did someone in the universe think I was capable of having my own child, let alone three?

Well, Someone had faith in me. And I know you have faith in me. It's time for me to have faith in me.

There, that little blond boy with blue eyes, dimples, and freckles, right out of a Star Wars movies. That's my son.

Shh! Daddy is snoring!

Dear Crazy Kiddoes,

This past weekend was Conference Weekend. One of the times we get to watch Church in our pajamas. Jonah, you were overjoyed. You and Mom went out the night before and bought a book that taught you how to draw monsters. That's what you picked as your "I will be quiet during Conference". Mommy picked crochet yarn. Daddy picked "work on his laptop". While we were shopping, you made the comment "Daddy will probably fall asleep. He usually does." Ah, young one, wise beyond your years.

All of you were so good this time. Kariah took long naps, boys drew their monsters and quietly played, Mommy finished a big crochet project and Daddy did mindless work while we all listened to the words of the prophets. It was great.

Right before the final session, Daddy made a strange noise. I looked up to find him pale and muttering the words "My computer has died." He was then forced to actually watch Conference which resulted in this....

.

Which meant Mommy got to break out the peanut M&M's for Conference Bingo!! You guys had a great time and it was so fun to watch you really listen, (and really chow down) while figuring out what each talk focused on. "Mommy that one was totally about prophets! See how many covered the prophet picture?". You guys are so smart!

And finally this was a cute picture of Sissy borrowing some fairy wings from Marc's best friend Lilly down the street. Sissy sure makes a cute fairy!

I love you guys so much. And Heavenly Father loves you even more. What amazing creations you are!