Future Rockstar

I think we need to add singer/songwriter to Alli's list of aspirations...

She never actually ends. I just stopped recording eventually. It gets pretty funny if you hang in there and watch. The only problem with this video is that it was recorded at 10:30pm. I could hear her singing in her room long after I put her to bed and after she had already been out of her room to sing to me in person. She finally fell asleep shortly after this.

Alli in her cast

Alli landed wrong after being tossed on the bed Sunday night and it resulted in a broken left radius. So, it has been a very long week with an ER visit, a trip to the orthopedic surgeon's office and surgery at the hospital. Yes, surgery. Apparently, the location of the break generally requires a pin to be placed in order to set right. That was a shock that caused a great deal of stress and angst for mom and dad, but she was a champ through it all...

The x-ray for those of you that are interested.

The morning after the ER visit in her temporary purple cast and hospital gown. Did you know they give those away "free"? She was pretty excited about all the "free" stuff she got from her hospital visits.Following doctor's orders and keeping that arm elevated while watching morning cartoons. She carried her own pillow in the living room and set herself up. Apparently she was listening during discharge instructions.

A few hours after surgery in her new light blue cast to match her eyes. Those little bumps are spacers to allow for swelling and will come out at her follow up appt next week. The pin itself is completely internal and will be removed in about 4mos.

We were instructed to keep her resting with her arm elevated for 48hours. Easier said than done. After about the second movie, Alli said "Kids are supposed to play! I don't want to rest anymore." Getting her to take the yucky pain medicine was another impossible task. In her defense, that stuff was awful bitter.

So, this was the best we could do most of the time. She loves her new coloring book! As you can see, she has been all smiles through just about all of this.

Some things we have learned:

-We have to be a lot more careful. Turns out, kids can break.

-Alli is hilarious under the influence of Versed, otherwise known as happy juice- wished we had that on video. Just imagine a drunk 5 yr old slurring "Those doctors are crazy. That medicine didn't work. I didn't fall asleep. HOORAY! Look at those fans falling from the ceiling..." All the while trying to sit and stand up in bed, but falling back down. At one point she got real quiet and zoned out but then her eyes lit up and she said "They should call it quiet medicine."

-There is a point at which Alli gets tired of watching TV after all.

-Most importantly, we are surrounded by God's love in the form of family and friends who prayed, visited, called, encouraged, supported, sent gifts and offered help of all kinds. We are truly blessed. Thank you all so much.

Hopelessly Devoted

Dwaine had a beautiful, sweet, kind hearted date last Friday night and she wasn't me. He took Alli to their 3rd ever Father Daughter Dance. They had such a great time at the first two, so they were both really looking forward to it again. Alli was doing a daily count down in anticipation.

I'm really a little bit jealous that I don't' get to be a part of it, but I know that if I was it wouldn't be the same, so I just look forward to getting her ready for her special night. We even had a special shopping trip with Grandma to pick out her dress this year. And here is the happy couple ready for the big night...When Dwaine got home, he said they had a good time but also mentioned that this was the year he lost her. She was really excited to see all the other little girls she knows and had fun socializing with them. I was a little sad for him, but when I asked her about the dance she said she was "as snug as a love bug with daddy." Her time with him was still very important to her and she really cherished being with him. I think it was just extra fun for her to be able to see all her friends at the same time.

Something else that made the dance extra special this year. Our close friends, the Westinghouse's were in town and Corry got to take his 2 beautiful daughters, Autumn and Shelby too! This pic was taken when they all got home. They came home screaming, squealing and dancing with excitement and apparently had done so all the way home in the car with Dwaine. I think he needed a little stress relief at that point! Three giddy girls can be a bit much to take especially in a confined space.

And while the girls and Daddies were away at the dance, Miss Steph and I took TJ to eat at El Chaparral and apparently he liked it, cause now he says that's where he wants to have his birthday. I'm sure that has something to do with the fact that somebody was celebrating a birthday and did the whole sombrero and song thing while we were there. He's so funny sometimes. He still keeps reminding me and telling other people that is where he is going to have his birthday. Crazy boy cracks me up.

A Budding Artist

Remember when I said that Alli wants to be an artist when she grows up. Well, she has stayed true to that, still consistently says that is what she wants to be, and has been practicing a lot. She loves to draw...

A unicorn (drawn back in November).

One of her most recent creations and one of my favorites- a bird. Is that cute or what?