Twinkle

Before Elliot had broken her talus (ankle/foot) bone, we had started to make some good progress in the potty training area; but after the break I threw in the towel and decided it would be easier to wait until her cast was removed before we continued training. For the first four weeks, she was in a full leg cast and it was difficult to maneuver for her. Add onto that, her being in pain and then having the croup, and it all flew out the window.

Well, last week she was placed in a short cast for the duration of the reduction (bone healing / setting process), so I decided it was time to start working on the potty training again. I had forgotten that she had picked up a cute little quirk when she used the potty and was reminded when we restarted training.

Like most families we have many ways to say one may need to go to the restroom. (That's one example.) We also say pee pee, tee tee, potty, and tinkle, among many other more colorful adult phrases! ;o) I guess Elliot doesn't always hear words correctly, and when we would say tinkle, she thought we were saying twinkle. This resulted in her saying things like, "I need to go twinkle?" (yes this is a question... She asks it every time we tell her she needs to try to use the potty).

So, the cute thing she had and has been doing is; when she starts to actually urinate, she sometimes sings "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star." And, of course, she sings it in her adorable three year old lisp so it makes it that much cuter. I think I may be said when she grows up and thinks she's too big to "twinkle, twinkle little star." Enjoy every silly, quirky moment, they grow so fast! Don't blink or you'll miss something! ;o)


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God Thank You

Elliot sometimes has good manners, and other times I am eternally mortified by her rudeness. As of late, she has been practicing her reply to someone saying "God Bless You" to her. Naturally, we tell her to say, "thank you" when someone says "Bless You," to her because acknowledging someone when they speak to you is the polite thing to do. A week or so ago, Elliot was having a sneezy kind of day, and I was telling her "God Bless You" often. She was doing a good job responding appropriately, and I was praising her effort. After one series of sneezes and "God Bless Yous" she replied, "God Thank You, Mommy." I cracked up! This, of course, triggered her I-need-to-say-it-more-because-it's-cute mode. She has been replying with, "God Thank You" off and on since, but it is equally cute every time. I love it when one of our children says something that invokes the entire family to begin using a word or phrase that is unique to us. "God Thank You" is now my reply to a "God Bless You" as well these day! ;o)

A Child's Joy

Elliot is really enjoying Christmas this year. She LOVES all of the Christmas lights on all of the houses, and we have been out to look at lights many times already this season. She becomes so animated when she sees a Santa or a Frostie inflatable. I think her favorite lighted attraction would have to be the little deer that move. She'll look out the window and say, "My deer, my deer!"

She makes the season that much better for me and for Cameron too, I think. She really reminds us that it's not about all the stuff, but family and togetherness. It's amazing that such a little person can bring such a bright light onto the true meaning of this time.

This is a little video of one of the house we saw on tonights excursion. Both Emma and Elliot wanted to go back and see it again, but as it was getting late, we'll have to save it for another night.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a goodnight! ;o)

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Location:Banks Dr,Weatherford,United States

Talus What???

Exactly four weeks ago Elliot was playing in the shop while Cameron was in there working. He was only four or five feet away from her at any given moment, but he still wasn't close enough to prevent the accident. She decided that she was going to try to climb up onto one of our small 50cc motorcycles. (the side without the kickstand [Cameron always points out.])

I was in our bedroom at the time, and when I heard her scream I knew something was broken. I could just feel it in the pit of my stomach. Cameron and I met in the kitchen, he was holding Elliot, and she was crying so pitifully. I immediately wanted to leave for the emergency room, but Cameron thought we should wait. That last about 58 seconds and I decided I was going to the ER with or without him.

We went to our home town ER, and to make a long story a little shorter, and they found nothing. Yes, after six hours in the ER and two sets of x-rays, they found NOTHING! We were sent home with an ice pack and instruction for providing ibuprofen. Really???

We got home in the wee hours of Thanksgiving morning. (around 2 a.m. to be exact). Cameron nor I slept well those few hours between our arrival home and our departure for the REAL ER. Elliot was exhausted and in pain, so she did fall asleep, but I'm sure it wasn't restful. Around 6:45 Thanksgiving morning Elliot woke up crying. I had already decided in my restlessness that as soon as she awoke we were headed to Cook's Children's in Fort Worth. The family hastily got dressed and headed out the door.

We checked into the ER around 8, and were back in a room immediately. By 10 the x-rays were done and the ER doctor informed us that Elliot had a fracture in her talus bone. (click the hyperlink to learn where the Talus bone is located.)

Apparently, this fracture is not common in children, so the orthopedic team was called in to consult. After much discussion and many hours in the ER, they finally decided they would put her in a full leg cast under anesthesia, while in live x-ray, so the reduction (or putting the bone pieces back together) would be precise.

Elliot was in the O.R. for about an hour and came out from her anesthesia like a champ. She really did a great job and was such a brave little girl. She enjoyed two Popsicles while in the recovery room and was quite entertaining, insisting that she hold her own Popsicle in her anesthesia-drunk state.

Her first cast was pink.

In recovery eating one of her Popsicles.

Her second cast was red and green for Christmas. Most of it is covered up in this picture, but you can see the foot is striped red and green like a candy cane. The entire cast is that way.

Everyone really loved her "Christmas cast." I guess the timing has to be just right to be able to choose those colors and for them to be applicable for the duration of the cast's life.

Today we went to see the Orthopedic Pediatrician for our four week check up. They decided to remove her cast to do the x-ray as to get a good view of the bone. All is well and Elliot's talus bone is "filling in" beautifully. We now have a short cast that allows her to bend her knee. I think she's pretty happy about that! ;o)

Her new cast is purple and will likely be her last for this fracture.

She was being silly and playing with her sock while I was trying to get this picture.

And yes, I did say, "her last cast for THIS fracture.". I have a feeling that she is going to be my daredevil child. Wish me luck!

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My Licker

Elliot was enjoying a blue raspberry ring pop the other day while watching a little quality Nick Jr. I was busy working on something in my office, so she was in the family room for a bit on her own. Suddenly, she comes running into my office about thirty minutes later and yells, "Look Momma, my licker turned blue!" She was, of course, talking about her tongue, but for her, licker is a much more appropriate name for it. The kid will lick anything! Her sister. (eww) The cart at Wal-mart. (barf) A random pole in a walkway. (gag) Really, she'll lick ANYTHING!!! So, we now all refer to our tongues as our lickers!


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Dinosaurus

Elliot has been very interested in dinosaurs lately. We have a fun dinosaur book that tells us about them and has silly illustrations. Today in the truck Elliot made up a new word that I thought was really cute and fun! She was looking out the window and said, "Mommy, look at the dinosaurus bird." it was, indeed, a bird, but not a pterodactyl; or dinosaurus, as Elliot dubbed it.