A Terrible Morning

So you guys with kids over 4 know this, but this is a lesson for those of you who have young kids or who may not have kids yet but will. Here are a few take away tidbits in case you don't have time to read this whole story. Kind of like on CNN where in the upper right hand corner, they give you the summary. Here goes:
1. Always schedule "yearly checkups" at the end of the day or in the afternoon where you can go home afterwards.
2. Bring extra bandaids--preferably Hannah Montana....even if your child has never seen the show.
3. Allow for at least one and a half hours for the "check up". It will be at least that long, probably longer.


Back to the action:

So yesterday morning was Ryan's 4 year checkup. They had relatively few openings (probably because every kid in College Station has a sinus infection, and most of their parents I might add) so when they finally said 8:20 on Tuesday? I gave in and said that would be fine. I figured, I should be able to be at school by 9:10 (2nd period). Ryan also has dance class at 9am at her school. I figured it would be no problem getting her there at least close to on time.

I figured wrong! The first part of the appt. was great--vision, hearing, develpmental, height, weight--the usual. No problem. We meet with Dr. Saenz. Great--no issues. We are doing good on time--8:40. He does say in the appt. that Ryan needs 5 shots. (what?!?!) Okay....I haven't prepped Ry for that on purpose, thinking she would freak out and also, I wasn't sure how many. (Five?!?! Are you sure Dr. Saenz??) So we start to wait, and wait, and wait. 9:15 finally brings the nurses (2 one to give these gifts of pain and one to hold her legs). Mom, you get to hold the arms. Be ready for this. It sucks.

So the five (yeesh--really!?!?) shots finally are done, and Ry has completely LOST it. (who wouldn't?) She's bawling, hollering "it hurts!" (no kidding!) and it is time to go. But her legs hurt. She doesn't want to walk. She doesn't want to be held-everything hurts. Eventually, with much crying, we get outside. Where it is raining and we need an umbrella. And patience for me. Ry's still going crazy. I finally tell her that I'll have to take away her lollipop if she can't stop crying (I am or at least felt like, a terrible mom). So we eventually make it to the car where the shots are bleeding through her pants. (DRAMA!! Ryan calls it "bleeting"--like a sheep?) Anyway....

We have to stop for more bandaids--thank God in that moment for Hannah Montana. She's never seen the show, but it made her happy to buy them. We get in the car. We get to school. Ry's doing okay now. Still legs hurt, but otherwise, not bawling. We talk about her new stamp kit (thanks again to Walgreens where we got the bandaids). The stamp kit we had to buy because Ry was so upset because (double whammy) she missed dance class.

We get to school. And here it comes again. Ry loses it all over again because I have to go to work. I get there at 10am. The worst morning. : (

So just a quick review: appts end of day, extra bandaids, and allow for lots of time. So all of you out there with older kiddos, keep passing on those tidbits of information to us newbies--we need all the help we can get! : ) p.s. Ry is feeling just fine today! Sore legs, but just fine! Thank heavens!

Superheroes!!!

Ry had a great birthday party this past weekend with her best buddy Cade--as you frequent readers know, it was a super hero themed party--and the kiddos were so cute!!! Nearly all of the kids came dressed up and it was ADORABLE!! The kids had a great time (so did the parents I think!--the husbands found out that it was super fun to throw a nerf football so that a running dive into the foam blocks was necessary--actually, that was mostly Chris now that I think about it!!) : )

Ry and Cade

"Listening" to the Rules of PowersportsThe super cute cake made by our friend Lindsay

My mom is coming in for Ryan's birthday weekend (the real bday is Saturday) so Ryan's special "day" just keeps on going and going! What a dream for a 4 year old!! A fun, dress up party with all of her friends from school and family friends PLUS a second party with the fam--can I do this when it's my birthday? : )

Birthday Bonanza!

So today is Ryan's 4th birthday party (I know, can you believe it?). She is having a hard time understanding why she isn't 4 today--her actual birthday is the 19th. We decided to have a joint party with one of Ryan's best friends, Cade (also turning 4). So we figured out the best weekend between their birthdays (Cade's is the 29th of Aug), factoring in when Chris has cross country meets and when there is a home Aggie game, etc. So, today's the day--of the party that is! She has been very excited as it is a superhero party. Check out the invitations our friend Patrick made:

Then of course, we had to make great party favors--thanks again to Patrick for the nametags (each kid's name is on the back) and then I made the masks. There are a few little things inside too.

If I were a kid, this would be the party to be going to! They are all dressing up as superheroes, and on top of that it is at Powersports, which is a completely fun time for the kids and parents! Ry's costume is too cute and she keeps asking when she can put it on (super girl!)!

Can't wait to get the cake too--our friend Lindsey is making it for Ry and Cade. I'll have to blog the party later--right now, I've got to get to the store for more elastic for the masks! : ) Calling all Superheroes--we are having an elastic shortage at the Kovacs House!

G for Great Day

Ry and I were looking at blogs and Ry said that she wanted to write on ours. So she said, "Hey, let's write about a great day. G for great day."

This is Ryan's story about great days: "Great days are so much fun and um I play with Ashley because she's my best friend and she plays with me so much even Cade plays with me all day and we play so much together everyday and I play with them everyday even mornings." (all in one sentence).

And now she says she's done. So that's it. A typical Ryan story just in time for bedtime.

Hope you all are having a great day too! : )

Italy

We were fortunate this summer that Chris and I were able to get away for our 5th anniversary to Italy. We had such a great time enjoying the history, scenery, people and each other. Check out some of these great pics:

At the Michelangelo Piazza overlooking the city of Florence

One evening at the Colosseum

During our tour inside the Colosseum

In St. Peter's square just before our Vatican tour

It truly was a great trip--tough to be gone from Ryan for so long, but thankfully my mom and Chris's mom could watch her for the week while we were there!

We had such great meals while we were there and the people were so friendly (one reason why we didn't go to France)! There is so much to see and do in Rome--the churches alone could take a week! The metro (subway) is easy to navigate and seemed safe (so far as we knew!) and overall, it was a perfect trip--aside from our sore feet and legs from wanting to see and do everything in just a few short days!! : ) Yay for Italy!

Disney!

I realize that it has been since March since I've posted! Yeesh! It has been a very busy 6 months for us to say the least! Here are a few pics from our recent trip to Disney--Ryan had a GREAT time, as did we as a family. We went with Chris's dad and step mom, and Chris's sister and their family. It was fantastic and we were so glad to get away for a while to a truly magical place!

Interview with Ryan

As some of you may have seen, my friend and fellow Blogger, Stormy, interviewed her kids with the idea that she'd ask those questions of them in the future also to see how their answers change as they get older. So here is our version. Chris and I came up with the questions, and we interviewed Ry as we ate breakfast yesterday morning. Here is how it went:

Chris: What's your name?
Ryan: Ryan

Chris: How old are you?
Ryan: 3 (holds up three fingers too)

Chris: Who are your friends?
Ryan: Ashley, Cade, Max, Mimi, Faith, Daniel....that's it...that's the end of my friends.

Chris: Ryan, what's your favorite snack?
Ryan: Gummies and juice...grape juice, grape juicy

Chris: What's your favorite game?
Ryan: Chutes and Ladders

Chris: What else do you like to do?
Ryan: Hmmmm...play in my room, play, read books, go to bed

Chris: What is your favorite animal?
Ryan: Mmmmmm....horsey!

Chris: Why do you love mom?
Ryan: Because she loves to play with me all the times....ok, Dad?

Chris: Why do you love dad?
Ryan: Because you love to play with me and for me to.....(Chris: What? What's for me to? Ryan: For me to!! Chris: ....okay....)

Chris: What's your favorite show?
Ryan: Kung Fu Panda; a brand new Kung Fu Panda (there was a little show on one time on Thursday night about Kung Fu Panda....she saw it once...for 30 minutes! She really loves SuperWhy, Dora, and Toot and Puddle)

Chris: Why do you love Grammy? (she was over at our house for breakfast)
Ryan: Because she has spots on her belly. (Not sure where this came from!! Grammy had surgery the day before though, so she had some bruising on her belly...maybe that is what she was talking about???)

Chris: Tell me about Duncan.
Ryan: Because he is my pet, he likes to go outside and play with me. He's not annoying; he is a puppy! And he's also a pet and goes in his cage and gets food.

Chris: Do you have any chores?
Ryan: Yes. Getting pencils and pennies all by myself and put them in my pink piggy bank for doing such a good job. (Notice: she doesn't tell what her chores are...apparently the work is not much of a chore, since all she remembers is the getting coins part. I have no idea where the pencils thing came from....her real chores are to clean her room, help with putting up Duncan and letting him out when we get home. She also puts away the silverware when we unload the dishwasher).

Chris: What do you like about our house?
Ryan: I liked it when you painted it up in the sky and on the walls and I love the way you put the ornaments on that tree (our little Easter tree) and I liked the way you put water in that plant because it is growing. I like the letters by Duncan's food. (we have the letters EAT by Duncan's food bowls....again, not sure where painting up in the sky came from...we haven't painted any ceilings!!)

Chris: What is your favorite book?
Ryan: Ummmmm...Dora--all of the Dora books and the princess ones, and Deigo ones, and Max and Ruby

Chris: We're almost done...What do you want to be when you grow up?
Ryan: Ummmm...open my candy all by myself and rollerskate and biking really really fast. Play soccer. Watch this guys....(drinks milk)...I have a mustache!!

Chris: Ryan, what's your favorite stuffed animal?
Ryan: Hello Kitty and Sherlock and Ellie Belly and Tip Top.....(runs off into the living room)....(calls back)...I'm DONE!

And she was done. We couldn't help to keep asking questions. It was cute to watch because we could see that she felt really important while we were asking her all of these things about her. : )