Our first break.....make that two!!!!

After a nice Easter Sunday trip to the Zoo our week started off quite quiet so I thought based on the past 3 Spring Breaks we have been away.  Bombshell had Monday off at home with the kids but I has to return to work.

Upon returning home I see Bambeano sitting on the drive way holding his arm.  I asked him what was wrong and he told me he broke his arm falling 2ft.  My first thought was why hadn't Bombshell called me, why wasn't he checked out, a quick glance over at Bombshell revealed that maybe Bambeano was milking Mummy for all she is worth.....I mean who can deny the sweet smile

So I asked Bombshell what had happened and he told me Bambeano fell off the swing tower at our neighbors but he was fine, I was horrified he hadn't been taken to the Dr but after speaking with my neighbors and learning he was playing the Xbox after it happened I thought how serious could it be......

Roll forward 2 hours and now it was about 7.30pm and I asked both kids to go and get ready for bed, Bambeano appeared to get up from his chair and used his arms for support, I watched intensely thinking so much for a sore arm and before I could finish my thought Bambeano collapsed in a heap and screamed in pain, that was enough of a sign he needed to go to Urgent Care.

I thought given it was a suspected broken arm I should take him to the local orthopedic urgent care but that was 15 minutes away and there was an urgent care right by the house that I knew had xray equipment do I opted for there.  BAD MISTAKE....the place was heaving (translation to my US readers BUSY)

So finally at 8.40pm (20 minutes before they closed no less) they finally call us back.  2 quick xrays of the wrist (no elbow shot but two of the same shot) and another side view they gave us a clean bill of health and sent us home with a brace and sling and the verdict - SPRAIN.

 


Tuesday another day home with Bombshell and Bambeano is running around with the neighbors, thank goodness for that.......SO I THOUGHT

Wednesday morning both Bombshell and I had to be at work, Bombshell was stating his arm hurt and was crying, it did seem a little swollen but we had confirmation it was just a sprain, right!!!!!

So a shot of Motrin and I sent him on his way to camp......I got to work and something told my gut that I should take him to his Dr but I thought I may be seen as one of the neurotic mothers who thought their child should see every Dr in the world.  After some great advice at work I called his Dr's office to speak to a nurse to tell her my concerns and see what they thought I should do.  They were very quick to note he should be seen immediately, a child with a sprain does not have pain intensify nor does swelling suddenly appear.  So I left work pondering my 30 minute drive home that I doubted my baby that he was hurt then trying to convince myself the xrays showed nothing.....

We get to his Dr office and after a short wait she looked at him and asked where it hurt, he stated his wrist and elbow, I was quite bewildered that he could be hurt in two spots with nothing between but the Dr obviously wasn't.  She asked him to rotate his arm, palm up and palm down, he winced and stated he couldn't do it as it hurt too much.

She immediately turned to me and told me it was far more serious than a sprain and we had to go to the Orthopedics (y'know the place I wanted to go on Monday but talked myself out of it as it was further away)  So off we went to the one near Bombshell's work as they had a pediatric wing.  After a very short wait we were called back.  I again described what happened and they asked if elbow xrays were taken.  When I responded no they said they would take fresh xrays anyway instead of asking for the ones from Monday.  We had 2 taken, full arm bent and then full arm rotated, poor buddy was in so much pain I had to fashion the lovely heavy apron so I could stay with him while the Xray was taken.

We were taken back to our room and literally 10 minutes later the Dr came in to tell me there was a break, not one but two!!!!!!  The computer screen came on and I saw his xrays in all their glory.  As I started to fight back the tears I clearly saw the break at his wrist and the other at his elbow on his radius which is why he couldn't rotate his arm.  I was so upset that I doubted him and his pain and the fact I made him go to camp, poor buddy.

The Dr proceeded to tell me he would be in a cast, the "L" cast as I like to call it, Bambeano got to choose the color, pay close attention to the coordination of the shoes (See below), and he even got a cast for his puppy.  The Dr told me not to worry everything would be fine, I mouthed to her (as I didn't want Bambeano hear or see) that I didn't believe him :(

So you remember our fateful record trips in 2010 of busy ER, Urgent Care trips, this might be the start of 2012, here's hoping NOT!!!!!!!

A comb, Bald patch and a goal

The week has flown past super fast with work, school and soccer practice...although I may blink and miss it I don't mind as it gets me a little closer to our 3 week trip to England in the Summer which I am VERY excited about.....

So after a busy week of practices which created havoc with my allergies we quickly reached Friday.....the week end was sure to be busy with back to back games for the kiddos, thanks to the help of some great friends I felt a little better with managing the week end. 

Of course we couldn't start the week end without some drama.  Boo Boo was watching a movie at school and decided to play around, I mean, comb her hair.  However, she managed to tangle the hair round and round and round her bangs, so much I received a phone call at work to tell me of the predicament, even the teacher couldn't untangle.   Oh boy what was I coming home to....I managed to get some remedies from some people in work that included coating her hair in Vegetable oil, but no it wouldn't be that simple would it, of course not, Boo Boo was left in an office as she couldn't partake in PE with a comb dangling from her bangs.  Note to teachers, never leave a determined, patient 10 year old on her own to ponder about what she had done......She managed to yank the comb out of her hair with a HUGE clump of hair with it........Another phone call from school left me wondering what I was coming home to.......Thankfully not as bad as I was envisaging......

Soccer Saturday arrived but so did the rain :( Thankfully no games were canceled, so with Bombshell on rotation it was up early to take Bambeano over to our friends where he was super excited for Brian's pancakes and to hang out with his favorite ladies :) and I was off to take Boo Boo to her game against North Meck, what a game it was, we won 4-2 and Boo Boo's team continues their unbeaten run and are top of their league after wrapping up it was a race against time to get back for Bambeano's game.

Rushed back to learn his team were up 1-0 and of course I missed his goal, the parents told me it was a good goal, must have been all those pancakes Brian filled him up on.  So I turned photographer for the team and took pictures while cheering on Bambeano oh and not forgetting the multiple phone calls from Bombshell who wanted to know how his team was doing.....Proud to say the 5 kids that scored last week all scored again this week with a 5-1 win Bambeano starts his season unbeaten.

So proud of my kiddos.   Bombshell rounded of the day with a 9-2 win for his team so all in all a great week end

Let the Craziness begin.......

Wow what a whirlwind few weeks...........  Soccer for Boo Boo, a flood at the house, an awesome mountain trip with some great friends, basketball ends for Bambeano and so now it begins.......SOCCER SATURDAY BOWDEN STYLE....

So as you have read the Bowdens have been busy and I know I said I would promise to update with the mountain trip but with the flood and kids activities life escaped me....maybe again as the saying goes "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas" only our was "What happens in the Mountains stays in the Mountains" especially given the fun, hot tub, tubing in sideways snow falling, amount of alcohol consumed and not forgetting waking up to being snowed in.......

So since the trip we have come back to a huge bump of reality, busy work weeks filled with soccer practice and week ends filled with kids activities and house repairs from the flood.  Bombshell has been a tad handy in that department and after receiving the insurance pay out has taken is hand to making some repairs himself.  Namely repairing the roof of the garage, which looks great I might add.  the carpet has been repaired and new padding installed, now it is just waiting for the new vanity cabinet that was ordered and Bombshell will make himself useful in the bathroom.

Kids are doing great in school so much that we have booked flights for England for me and the kids for a good long 3 week break that will include a trip over to my uncle's house in Ireland which I am really looking forward to.  The kids have never been so it will be great to show them areas that I grew up around.  The last time I visited was a year after Bombshell and I were married in 2001 so it is a well over due visit.

So last week was the official opening week end for Bambeano and his soccer,  He has been itching to get out on the field even more so since Boo Boo has been playing since the end of January.  The first game was going to be an interesting one....a new division devised to try and eliminate the oh so young 4 year olds playing against the giant looking nearly 7 year olds.  We decided to leave Bambeano in the newly created Under 7 because despite his skill level (with 18 goals last year and 21 last season) it would be a big adjustment for a 6 year old to play on a bigger field against some kids that were nearly 9 with kicks to match and that was the determining factor to keep him in his right age.

So Saturday came thick and fast, first up Bambeano, as Boo Boo's game was on a Sunday, nothing like to start Soccer for the Bowdens double doses.  I was looking forward to the game as I felt it would be evenly matched with kids all being equal in age, boy was I wrong.  You can tell a difference when a team has been together for a while.  Bombshell was coaching 5 of his 8 kids for the 3rd or 4th time so needless to say the kids knew how each other played.   So off was Bambeano for a run, as the pictures show

Daddy watching on as Bombshell tackles 2 

He breaks through

Add he is off for his first goal of the season

We got off to what i thought was a great start with Bambeano scoring twice for a 2-0 lead, then things got ugly on the side lines and Mama Bear unleashed.......a parent saw the great run that Bambeano did to then go on and score and made the comment that he was in the wrong league.....I kept quiet knowing each parent had their own opinion and it wasn't as though i wasn't used to it, parents had been saying it all last year even though he was 5 and 6, but some how it didn't stop there, not only were they talking loud enough for our parents to hear but they started with the ugly comments.....

"he is in the wrong league"
"WHAT are you telling me he is 7"...."We need to say something they are cheating"
"Well he can play an age up and that is what they should have done"
"Yeah why wouldn't you play up guess they want all the trophies and winning"

OH NO YOU DIDN'T....this was my breaking point.  I turned around and told them, in a nice manner of course, that they were talking about my son and he is 6 and rightfully in the league he needs to be......after a few stammering words he responded and said he could go up early to the older group in which I responded that due to the size of the 7/8 kids and the length of the field I would leave my son in the 6 year old league and I was in my right to do so.....after a few more stammering of words and a fake apology I shut him up....

Well Bombshell had a tough job to pull Bambeano back, no one likes to rail road other teams especially at 6 years old so off Bambeano went to defense, he was a trooper about it though and made me very proud listening to daddy coach.  So up 2-0 would be a good start to the season but oh know it would seem all the kids on our team wanted a piece of the action, one of the boys, who scored once last season, seemed possessed by Bambeano's runs and decided he would be the NEW Bambeano, this followed up by 2 from Bambeano's best buddy I might add and Valentine :) and then her sister got one and one of the new girls on the team finished it off for a 8-0 win.  WAY TO GO!!!!!!

Next onto Sunday and Boo Boo's turn.  Now the ride there was not pleasant running late which is a pet peeve for me I will be early for EVERYTHING rather than risk being late so Boo Boo was not in a good mood to start....We arrive and the game starts....now this is the same team we played last September where they had some hard kicks that landed Boo Boo in the ER, subsequently a rematch in which we won and she saved so now it was going to be interesting to see if they were after revenge.  The game started hard but we came out top first with 2 quick goals that saw the other team mentality begin to lose their focus......Boo Boo probably had her best game yet, maybe it was the bad mood she was in or the fact that her brother got off to a roaring start the day before, whatever it was I was very proud of both of them.......

Great save

One on One

Pushes it wide for a corner

A few weeks swing by and it feels like a year......

So after the on sought of 2 birthday celebrations and the hustle and bustle of the holidays I thought now would be the time to wind down and catch my breath.......oh boy was I wrong....

Where do I start.....

Let's see 1st the cancellation of snow tubing for Boo Boo's birthday, turned out to be less of a problem than I first thought, with friends we decided we would surprise the children and rent a cabin in the mountains for some week end fun of tubing....ah the bliss of relaxation...

But hold on now I am think god had other plans for me...not only did Boo Boo start soccer with a tournament full week end at that, he sure didn't think that was bad enough, fast forward 10 hours and I came home after a cold, wet, damp soccer Saturday to a flooded bathroom.  This on top of the sad news that a soccer friend and mum was gravely ill in hospital after a horse riding accident.

I am sure we are tested to our limits in preparation of dealing with life only this particular week end I kept asking myself "WHY".

Boo Boo had a great day on the Saturday with 2 wins and some phenomenal saves I was so proud of her and bursting with pride, yet I some how felt guilty that I was enjoying life while my friend was suffering, oh how I prayed she would pull through.  So in between the wet, damp day at the soccer field and coming home to a wet flooded bathroom and landing, you can imagine my emotions were very high.  Plodding on cleaning up as best I could and calling the insurance company that was all I could do to get through the day.

Sunday was a mixed emotional day, learning the unfortunate news that Sunday there were other plans for our soccer WAG, RIP Maria you will be sadly missed. I know that the 4 lives she saved from donating her organs will be gratefully received but it still doesn't take away the sadness.

I tried to stay upbeat for Boo Boo and her remaining game, a win would take us to the finals.  Well the last game was a fight worth fighting for, a very tough game, close to the end until we pulled it away for a 5-3 win, now onto the finals.  Now the finals were not exactly what you would call fair teams based on the best of the best....let's just say more Goliath and David and I don't mean that in a good way that we won :( but more that the girls on the other team were giants.  Not exactly U11....direct from the words of Boo Boo......."Mum they even had boobies"

Even so our team of mixed 9 and 10 year olds fought a hard battle and held their own to the end, unfortunately they lost but you know what they should be oh so proud of what they accomplished.

Stay tuned....in the next few days I promise I will update on our exciting, fun filled week end to the mountains with great company.....until then chickies :)