Mystery Solved

I am behind in posting this story; it happened right before Tyler's surgery but was just resolved a few days ago. Monday night (the night before surgery) as I was putting Tyler to bed I realized I didn't know where Care Bear was. This is not your ordinary Care Bear. My mom made one for me when I was a kid and made another one when the grandkids came along. Tyler asked to bring it home from my parents house a few months ago and has since become very attached to it. He even started taking it places instead of his infamous frog and slept with it each night in addition to the frogs. So, as I am putting him to bed, there is no way I am going to ask him where Care Bear is in fear that he will be devastated, not sleep, be more anxious about Tuesday and so on. Thankfully, he didn't notice that Care Bear was missing when he went to bed. This left Kevin and I time to find him. We searched all the normal places - not there. We had hoped finding him would be easy - not the case. We searched everywhere over and over again - nothing. Since Kevin nor I are the one attached to Care Bear, the last time we remembered him being around was Saturday. We had been a number of places over the weekend and since the bear is often in the car with us, we called every single place we had been - nothing. Normally, this wouldn't have freaked us out. We could explain that Care Bear was lost, etc. However, knowing that Care Bear is one of his comfort items, we were frantic that we didn't have him to take to the hospital. It is very rare that Kevin and I are both panicked about something, but we were quite a sight. We were just staring at each other wondering what we were going to do. After a few more trips around the house, car, stroller, and anywhere else I could think of, I decided that I would gather the things for the hospital and pray that Tyler did not notice we didn't have Care Bear until after we left the house. Prayers answered, he didn't notice. Care Bear did come up once we were in the surgery waiting area, but thankfully Fribbie (the frog) was in very good favor that day and our response to his question as to where Care Bear was (we didn't bring him) was accepted without complaint. So, we made it this far, but were still concerned as to where the bear was and a little curious as to why Tyler didn't seem nearly as concerned as we were regarding the bear's whereabouts. He asked a few more times but never got upset. In the meantime, my mom gave him a new very soft and cuddly bear (there isn't really anything cuddly about Care Bear) which he quickly became attached to. This story is getting way too long so fast forward to Thursday or Friday. We are looking for something in Tyler's closet and he says, "I put Care Bear in there for 3 days... so Megan wouldn't get it." In his closet, Tyler has a Thomas the Train foldable tent. In between two sides of the tent is Care Bear. And here lie the answers to all of our questions - of course Tyler wasn't upset about care Bear's missing status, he knew where he was the entire time. We had hoped that this is the way the story would end and have gotten alot of laughs out of it. Since the new bear's arrival and Care Bear's 3 day sabbatical, he has lost favor with Tyler. However, Megan is very excited to be able to play with Care Bear whenever she wants.

A Big Day at Our House - Tyler's Surgery

We are so proud of Tyler. Tyler had surgery this morning to remove his adenoids and to put tubes in his ears. He was apprehensive to say the least and I cannot say enough good things about the Children's Hospital of Austin. We went to an orientation program geared towards children at the hospital on Sunday. The information we all received and the overall experience was priceless. This program is what made our experience today so pleasant. For Tyler, knowledge is the key. He needs to know everything beforehand so he can prepare himself for what is to come. Since our visit Sunday, we have read the surgery coloring book a number of times and discussed why he was scared and how we would handle his fears. While Kevin and I were still apprehensive about our departure from Tyler (there is a line where you say goodbye and then the kids goes to the surgery room with the nurse or surgery team), we were optimistic that all this preparation would pay off. It certainly did pay off. He chose to ride a tricycle to the operating room, said his goodbyes and was off before we knew it, eager to show the nurse how fast he could ride (he even beat the nurse to the OR). The procedure went very well. Tyler was not very happy waking up out of anesthesia, but who is. After spending a while in recovery, we were ready to head home to relax. He is doing great and quickly returning to normal. Here are some pictures of his day.


Tyler playing in the waiting room


Tyler dressed and ready to go


Tyler and Mommy showing off our ID bracelets


Tyler on the tricycle ready to go

Our Little Princess

Megan has the ability to play with the best of the boys, but every once in a while she lets us know that she is also an equal contender with the girls. Here, she models her princess attire. She love the purse and wand, but is not always sure about the tiara (which may have already been discarded when I took this picture).

Did You Know???

So, this is quite a diversion from my normal kid update posts, but I want to share information about a wonderful program I have recently learned more about. Did you know that Habitat for Humanity has a deconstruction program? If you purchase a lot with a house on it that you plan to tear down, Habitat has a deconstruction program that will disassemble the house piece by piece so they can use the materials for building new homes. Tyler and I have been following the daily progress of a house that has been in the deconstruction process the last two weeks. It has been very impressive to see everything that can be re-used. And, not only are you helping a deserving person get a new home, but all the materials that you donate are tax-deductible! So if you know anyone who is considering tearing down a home to rebuild, tell them to call Habitat to find out what they could do for them. http://www.austinhabitat.org/deconstruction/index.php

Precious Boys

When we are putting Tyler to bed, he frequently asks if we will lay down with him for a little but. Every once in a while, we end up falling asleep with him. This is the way I found them the other night. It was so precious I had to take a picture.