Baseball in Full Swing!

We have been playing a lot of baseball at our house and have lost many balls via storm drains in the street, dogs eating them, or Reed eating them! But, we hope to continue to get to play more this weekend.

We enjoyed a T-ball game of my nephews last week. Reed loved it, but soon found all the discarded seeds, crackers, and cigarettes more interesting than the game! Yucky!!! Thank goodness Grandma was there to help out. We had a great time and Connor and Caydan did so good. They both had some really good hits!

Today we picked up our Derby Twins player at the airport. His name is Dan Camou and he is a catcher from UC-Santa Barbara. He was greeted by a downpour of rain and was disappointed we weren't having any tornadic weather! He is a really nice kid and we look forward to getting to know him. He is most likely a keeper...he plays ball with Reed and the dogs! Should fit in nicely.

By the way...did you see my boy hitting that ball! This week he is batting mostly left and throwing right...sometimes he hits right, but he is much better and fluid from the left side. Look at that extension!

Not much new in the Hackleman World!

There is not much new in our world. We just keep on keeping on. We had a great weekend this last weekend. We spent Friday evening with our great friends at a fish fry. There was lots of food, fun, laughter, and kids! We had such a good time, we were out until the late hour of 10PM!! Todd and I laughed on the way home about how our lives have evolved...and we wouldn't want it any other way! We are so blessed.

We spent Saturday trying to get our pool ready for the summer!!! YIPPEE!! So as Todd and his friend Darren were laying it out we decided to have an impromptu BBQ. Lexy, the chicken was AWESOME!!! You should have stayed! Thanks to Lexy and our catch up talk..I also got the kitchen cleaned up! The BBQ was great fun as well, Kori (our babysitter and Darren's wife) came over with their kids. The kids played int he water while the pool was filling up, I didn't get pictures as I was fixing food, but it was picturesque watching Reed wave the hose around like a maniac! He was squirting everyone including himself, but couldn't quite figure out how the whole thing worked! It was a hoot!

Sunday we rested after church...which was a workout with Reed. Reed and I took a 2 hour nap on the couch and it was the sweetest thing ever! I love to snuggle and so does my baby, so I'll snuggle as much as he will let me. It was a great memory! We then "helped" Dad dig up some pampas grass, and played some T-ball. You should see Reed hit the ball! Fun stuff!

Monday Kori was sick, so Grandma came to the rescue since she was in town. Reed spent the day with Grandma Thompson, Aunt Audrey and the Pore boys! I got off work at 3:00 so I went over and played some baseball and some croquet before Reed and I headed home. Have I told anyone that I love my new job!

Derby Days and More

This weekend is Derby Days, the town's summer celebration. Today, Reed and I along with my friend Susan and her daughters went to the Carnival and the Kidfest! It was so much fun!!! Reed wrangled some ducks in the petting zoo. He was speedy! He caught the poor slow fellow at the back of the pack. We petted a "moo" or a donkey, a "moo" or a horse, and a "baby moo" or a calf! At least he was right about one of the three! All the birds were "ducks" and I guess he was at least in the right category! He kicked and screamed when our turn in the pen was over! We then went to the kids' tent and played in the "rice" box (like a sand box but with rice) Reed and Addie would have stayed there all day if we'd have let them. Our next stop was the carnival rides. Reed loved the carousel and didn't want to get off! We finished off the day with dinner with Grandma Thompson and Caydan and Connor at Talliano's. We came home and played in the sprinkler bug thing I bought Reed at Target! It has crazzzy arm things that wave around when water goes through them. Reed was a little afraid of it, but Connor and Caydan got him to go through it with them and then Reed wanted "ma go"...so Ma ran through the sprinkler and so did Grandma, but Ma had on her swimming suit, but Grandma did not!

Good Timing...Less Stress

Well, I have been at my new job for a full 7 days over a 2 week period, but so far it is great. There is some anxiety with learning a new culture, but it will be fine as soon as I learn the paperwork and all the rules. I did get to see 3 patients independently on Friday and everyone survived, me and them! It was a little rough, but I made it. The schedule is fabulous and it is a whole new kind of challenge. Not boring, like I thought it might be. The amount of stress that has been reduced from my life is amazing. I feel 20 pounds lighter! Makes life at my house much more pleasant.

Memorial Day Weekend - Thurs/Friday

When I started this long weekend (I took Thurs-Mon. off) I fully intended to blog daily about our great family weekend. Obviously, we were having so much fun that I didn't get it done! What can I say other than we just have had the best 4 days.

THURSDAY: I was off to clean house, take Jack to the vet, run Reed-proof errands and do some computer orientation that had to be done for work so Reed went to daycare. So, that evening we started our family time by eating at Applebee's and then going to PetCo to get Jack and Truman new collars and Truman a harness so that we can start our family walks again.

FRIDAY: We loaded up in the AM and went to the zoo. Poor Reed feel asleep on the way there so he got a quick 15 minute power nap in before we got going. After everyone got all awake and loaded off we went on our trek. We went to the farm part first. I don't know why this is so fun, when we see this stuff everyday, but the petting zoo is pretty neat for the little ones I guess. At the farm we say Jzheep, Moos, and Ducks (any large feathered creature) If Reed can't say the name of the animal then you get a point and a "see, see, see" until you acknowledge that you have seen it. The penguins weren't playing much so they were hard to see, so we went for the reptile house. Reed loved the swimming turtles and being able to walk along the step to see in all the windows. He pointed and said "see" in everyone but I can honestly say I don't think there was anything in a few of them. We skipped the jungle/rainforest and North America other than the bears and headed for Africa and the new Tiger Trek. Reed loved all of these animals even thought the hippos, lions, and rhinos were "taking naps". I think he liked the tigers the best. He was pretty infatuated with the "monks" too but he was so tired by then that he could hardly stand up. We took the wagon and the backpack/leash so that he could walk some in a semi-controlled state. I do not have the child that will calmly hold your hand and walk where you would like him to. I swore I would never get one of those leash things, but then I had Motor-Man Reed. He RUNS everywhere! He is lightening quick too...minus the leash he would have been in the middle of the Asian Forest! I think he walked about 8 miles and loved every minute of it. Todd and I thought surely that he would crash on the way home, but oh no...another 10 minute power nap and he was back at it. Finished off the day with a trip to Lowe's to get flowers/plants and then came home to work in the yard while Reed played in the sprinkler. He wasn't so excited about the sprinkler, but thought it was great to have Daddy squirt him with the hose and to have Daddy pour water from the watering can on him like a shower! We tried one more time to take a nap,but no luck! I think Reed was so glad to have both Mommy and Daddy home and playing that he was afraid to miss something. He finally crashed for the night at around 9PM...boy was Mommy tired...happy but tired.

Here are some pictures from our day!

Cruisin'

This is a video of Reed learning to drive at Grandma Thompson's. I don't think we quite have it down yet!

First Trip to the ER!

I knew we would eventually make it to the ER, but I figured it would be because Reed jumped off of something or sliced something or someone open, not because of allergies! Apparently Reed is extremely allergic to either peanut butter or grape jelly. He had a PB&J for supper, which he has had before without any excitement, and about 2 minutes after he licked all the PB & J off the bread he started crying and scratching his neck. He was frantic!! I thought something was biting him, so I ripped off his shirt to see hives EVERYWHERE!!! I grabbed him and the phone and called our family PA at home (also a close friend) he advised me to go to the ER, so off we went. Todd wasn't home from work yet, but he came up after us. Reed screamed the whole way and scratched!!! They were great about getting us in and back, however a few of the nurses were kind of rude, but mostly they were all really nice considering I had a RED, SPLOTCHY, SCREAMING, toddler.

Luckily he never had any breathing issues, they quickly (as quickly as you can with a toddler) got an IV line and then got him some medication. We had to stay for 2 more hours for observation, which Reed slept through most of it. He woke up for the last 20 minutes we were there and tried his darnedest to make a get away. He tried walking out himself, he tried getting Mommy to carry him, Daddy to carry him, but no luck! When the nurse shut the door ...he went ballistic. Todd thinks he is a smart kid to not like the hospital. We are finally home this evening and Reed is resting. He has no more rash or hives but we are to watch him for the next several hours and into tomorrow. It was serious enough that we brought home a script for an epi-pen for kids and a strong recommendation to see an allergist! Fun, fun, fun. I now get to start the fight for a referral...wonderful HMO's! It will be a fight well worth it to keep Reed safe and out of the ER! It was a scary thing! I am grateful that all is well and that we are resting easier tonight. I pray that we will have a blessed night and all get some rest!