The Epi-Pen Incident

     Last month I did a post about Valerie and the determination she has.  I don't know if I mentioned her lack of fear.  These two qualities together are quite dangerous.  She climbed everything she could as soon as she could  when she was a baby and now she loves riding her bike quickly down the hills.  From a very young age I have wondered how many times I would be in the emergency room with her, because she is not afraid to jump off the cliff...so to speak. 

 

I am happy to say that we have avoided the emergency room up until this week.......... 

 

     Monday morning after dance class we ran a few errands and then headed for home.  When we got home I told Valerie to go in and change her clothes.  I had just planted my flower bed a few days earlier and went to check to see if I needed to water it.  Valerie went inside.  Not more than three minutes later I heard a scream and crying come from the house.  I ran in to see what had happened and I found Valerie in the office with an Epi Pen sticking out of her shin.   I tried to pull it out,  but it was in there pretty good.  She had stuck it right into the bone in front.  With a little more umph I was able to get it out.  My first thought was to call poison control,  but I also knew that the first thing you are always supposed to do when an Epi-Pen is used is to head to the ER.  The closest ER to our house is about 30 minutes away.  So I decided to get headed there and call poison control on the way.  It was then that I realized I had left my cell phone at dance. 

 

     So off we went, not knowing exactly what effects this could have on her and hoping they were not bad. 

 

     The whole time this was happening questions were running through my head.  Why did she get up into the top of the cupboard where the Epi-Pen was stored??  How did she know to pop the back off first before she stuck it in her leg??  WHY???? would she stick a needle in herself???? 

 

     I figured that the best thing to do on the drive was to not let her fall asleep and keep her talking to make sure she was breathing and coherent.  So I started asking her all of my questions.  Starting with why did she go right in and get the Epi-Pen?  Once she answered the first question it all made a little more sense. 

 

     We have been doing the softball routine with Emily for awhile now which means that she packs her bag and leaves it in the office so I can grab it when I come to get her from school everyday.  That way she does not have to carry it around with her everywhere at school since it is too big for her locker. 

 

   When we returned home form dance Valerie was hungry.  She knows that Emily has granola bars in her softball bag for game days when she is gone from 1:00 - 8:00pm and needs a quick snack.  When Valerie looked in the bag she did not find the granola bars, but discovered the Epi-Pen.  (I had forgotten it was in there,  but it is required that Emily has one with her at all times during softball activities.)  When the Softball season began Emily and I took out the Practice Epi-Pen (the one they give you without a needle and meds in it so you can teach how to give it)  I showed Emily how to do it and then she did it a few times.  I can't be sure,  but Valerie may have been watching, and she might have even "practiced" herself. 

 

    When we got to the Emergency Room  Valerie seemed to be doing just fine.  We got her checked in and hooked up and every thing looked good.  The doctor was surprised that Valerie would have given herself the Epi-pen, so he asked why she did it.  she just said, "I don't know."  I started explaining to the doctor how she got it and my thoughts on why she did it, and did it correctly. Except for putting it in the wrong part of the leg.  Then Valerie interrupted me and said.  "Mom, I just followed the pictures on the back."  Sure enough there are really good pictures on the back of the pen.  

 

 

Thankfully everything turned out fine and aside from a headache later that night Valerie did not have any side effects from the Pen.  I still question her motives of doing it,  and I am a little worried that she was not afraid of the big needle.  But I don't think she will try it again.  It hurt. 

Valerie's Preschool Graduation

 Today was the last day of Preschool so we celebrated with a graduation.

 

 

Valerie is ready for kindergarten.

 

 

I loved doing a co-op preschool with these cute kids.   It was so fun to watch them learn and have fun together.

 

Congratulations Girls!!!!

The Four Reasons I love Being A Mom

 

 

 Valerie

 Josh



 Joe

 Emily

Happy Mother's Day!

Karate

 

Joe took 2nd Place in his Schools Karate Tournament for his Kata. 

 

Utah, This Is The Place

Joe's 4th Grade program at school this year was all about UTAH.

 

The program is copyrighted so we could not take video,  but I was able to get a couple of pictures. 

The kids were all dressed as different things that represent the state.   Joe was assigned to be a baseball player.  There were pioneers, Mountain men, business men.  Jazz players, Native Americans, and a few other things. 

 

 

This is Joe with his friends Makayla and James. 

 

 I loved the songs in the program. and the kids all did great! 

 

One Very Determined Girl

   

 

    Valerie is one of the most determined girls I have ever met.  While sometimes this means that we are butting heads over things, it is also something that serves her well.  At 23 months old she decided that she could use the potty just like her older siblings did.  So she did.  I was not even thinking about potty training her.  I had not even mentioned it,  but she did not like being messy and had decided it was time.  I was very happy about this,  because potty training is NOT my favorite thing. 

    

     Now Valerie is 4 years old and some of her friends have started learning to ride their bikes without training wheels.  A couple of weeks ago we were outside and Valerie told me that she was ready to ride her bike without training wheels.  I told her to tell her dad when he got home and he could help her.  (Bikes are Ryan's department.)  She said okay and rode off with her training wheels that were bent and probably getting in her way. 

   

     A week later we were outside again and another of Valerie's friends was learning how to ride her bike.  Again Valerie came up to me and this time she demanded that I take her training wheels off.  So I did thinking that she would get on, fall, and then cry and ask for them to be put back on.   

 

Boy was I wrong!

    

     She got on and rode it down the street like she had been riding it for a week.  By the next day she was riding it like a pro.     

 

 

 

     I love this determination in her.  She is never afraid to take the next step or speak her mind.  While sometimes this can make it hard in the parenting department.  I know it will serve her well through life.
    

Chef Joe

       These past few months Joe has discovered that he likes to cook.  At least when it means making a treat. 

     For the Cub Scout Blue and Gold Banquet the boys had to bake and decorate a cake.  The theme this year for our troop was "Lights Camera Action"

     The number one rule in the cake baking is Mom can not help at all.  Joe was happy about this.  He and Josh made and baked the cake all by themselves and then when dad got home he helped with the decorating.  They did a great job. 

     One of his favorite treats to make are lemon bars.  One Sunday I discovered that Joe had been asking his primary teachers for treats every week.  They have been remodeling their kitchen and had been telling the boys in their class that when it was completed they would bring them a treat.  So Joe and his friends asked them every week if this was the week.  One Sunday Joe made the mistake of bugging his teacher in front of me.  As his mother I was a little mortified at how rude my child was being.  So after church Joe and I had a little chat and he was given the task to make his teachers a treat.  I was going to make lemon bars that day anyway so I told Joe he could help me.  Instead Joe got out all of the ingredients and began making them himself.  I kept asking if he needed help,  but aside from asking me what Lemon Zest was he did it all on his own and they turned out great!

 His Primary Teachers were very happy to receive a plate of Lemon Bars.  Joe was a little embarrassed taking them to them, and I hope he learned a lesson,  But his primary teachers love him and I don't know if they would tell me if he was still asking for treats. 

Joe has made a few other treats for us since then and is becoming quite a little chef.  I like to encourage this.  He will be glad he knows how to do it in a few years when he doesn't live with mom anymore.