Haunted Aquarium

We kept up with our tradition of going to the Birch Aquarium in La Jolla this year to celebrate the Haunted Aquarium. We got all gussied up in our costumes and headed out with Nana! The boys got to trick-or-treat through the aquarium; they got to play games out back; and they got to touch yucky, stinky things, like this squid!

Tonsil-less Keegan

Okay-- so there is absolutely NO point in blogging about how incredibly worried I was about Keegan's tonsil surgery yesterday. (I really was though!) Today, he is about 95% totally back to his normal self! He's a bundle full of energy, and he's got an "even though my throat hurts, doesn't mean my feet don't work" attitude. It's really unbelievable-- especially in light of what I've heard after recent friends/family tonsil surgeries (we know of two in the last few months). The doctors of those other kids had a very different theory: Keep them in bed for the first week; and Keep them calm for two weeks. Keegan's doctor said "No offense to that other theory, but I think it's total BS! If you are in bed, you feel sick, both physically AND mentally!" He said he wants Keegan up and out of bed, eating ANYTHING he wants to eat (even spicy, crunchy foods, if that's what he wants) playing with his brother, riding his bike, and doing anything and everything he wants to do. So, that is EXACTLY what Keegan is doing! Yes, his throat is a bit sore, but he states it's been a 1/10 on the pain scale all day! Compared to a 7-8/10 yesterday. He and his brother are running around the house, having a blast! THANK YOU to all of you who sent your well-wishes and prayers his way-- they TOTALLY did the trick!

We used to be awakened a few times a night with Keegan's heavy breathing, and loud snoring. Last night (the night of his surgery), Chris and I kept waking up, telling each other "Your turn, go check on him, see if he's breathing!" We couldn't hear ANYTHING coming from him at all. So, the surgery results were instantaneous! And, usually, when I go in there, his body is contorted into a million different positions all night long. (Body movement to aid in breathing when he had apnea from the tonsil obstruction.) Last night, I read to him until he fell asleep, around 8:30, and he slept in the exact same position ALL NIGHT LONG (because we really did keep going in there to check on him, it was so quiet)! That could have been his first, really great night's sleep in years for all we know!!

Dragon Egg

Yay-- I LOVE kindergarten!!! Tustin has been in school for 6 weeks now, and he's already starting to sound out some simple words! He read half of this book to me tonight, it was so exciting. He read words like: egg, rest, mama, nest, roll, hill, along with repetitive words in the sentences like "The egg rolls....." So he recognized the first part of most of the sentences, and then had to sound out new words toward the end. VERY exciting. I bet if you look in my archives, around Easter of 2010, you'll see a similar post for Keegan. This was the first book that HE read to me, the whole thing, on Easter day of his kindergarten year!

My Little Keegs....

Keegan's always been a LOUD sleeper-- loud/heavy breathing, snoring, moving around all the time, etc... but it has gotten worse over the last year, so we got him in to see an ENT. He's "text book" as to having sleep apnea, and in kids, the two main causes are tonsils and adenoids. SO... we are going to proceed with a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy in October! (Oh, I hope mommy can keep it together!) Keegan's friend got this done earlier in the summer, and she had post-surgery complications, that are rare, so all we've heard is her stories about how painful, how her mom couldn't get her to eat or drink anything for a week, etc... Keegan's doc said it will be a piece of cake: he's able to start eating and drinking his regular diet immediately, and he should be up and ready for school in 2 days! Keegan was a bit nervous, but we've been talking about it, which is helping. He likes the "doctor-recommended" foods and drinks: chewing gum and eating gummy bears (decreases muscle spasm and increases saliva, which helps keep the surgical sites clean); ice cream, yogurt, and drinking ANYTHING, including soda.... aye yay yay!! So, we've got it scheduled for October! Keegan and mommy will take a tour of the hospital and OR areas ahead of time, to make him (me) more comfortable, and we'll have to go on a shopping spree for all the bad foods and drinks, and some new books and maybe even a new movie to keep us company while lounging around the house for two days!

Let's Go to the Hop; Let's Go to the Hop!!

That's exactly what we did!! We went to the Sock Hop at the Yacht Club with Nonny & Pop! Thanks to you both for a wonderful afternoon! It was a fairly last-minute idea that we decided to "dress up" for this shin-dig, but I'd say we did a pretty darn good job with what we had at home to work with! (Yes, I do realize I ended that sentence in a preposition; no comments from the Peanut Gallery please!) Especially for none of the FOUR of us Tibbetts ever having lived in those times. We had a BLAST!! Chris and I were complimented on us being an "adorable couple," and we were also complimented on our "adorable children!" That right there makes it all worth it! Enjoy the pictures ahead.

Hoola-Hooping!

We all had fun trying out the hoola-hoops, but KEEGAN was a finalist in the actual competition! The prize? SOCKS, of course!

Get Your Groove On

The boys took pictures while the rest of us got in line to do the... I don't know what it's called! We learned this "line dance" of sorts, right after we learned the hand jive (in slow motion).

James Dean-- Ringer!

I don't know about you... but I think Keegan is a ringer for a young James Dean. Tustin..... Elvis, not so much! But, he's sure got the dance moves on the dance floor. We enjoyed delicious ice cream sundaes after our lunches.

Goofy, Fun Stuff!

Even the adults had fun posing with the card-board cut-outs!!

Skate Park

More fun at the skate park/ BMX park! Daddy even took his bike this time! (He had a little fall, well, a pretty big fall, but very minor, superficial injuries, Thank Goodness!) His adrenaline got pumping, and he couldn't resist to attempt a few jumps, one of which he completed OFF of his bike, rather than ON his bike! But, he's okay. He got back up, got back on, and kept on going-- Keegan said to him: Daddy, you aren't a real professional unless you get back up after you fall, and keep going! So, he did! I also included a picture of the boys' recent, adorable, haircuts. Keegan was truly beginning to look like a shaggy surfer/skater boy, with tha

t big blond "do!"

BMX Park

The boys' new weekend favorite activity is going to the BMX park! Falls or not, they have a blast!

My BABY started Kindergarten!

Well, it's bitter-sweet! My baby is growing up, and it makes me a bit sad, but it cuts my daily drive mileage down about 30 miles!! Love that! One stop, both kids, and straight off to work! Wooo-hooo!! Tustin has been VERY excited to start kindergarten, and to be going to the same school as his big "brudder" Keegan! We made a paper chain, at 63 days out, and every night, Tustin would tear one link off the chain. The day finally came, down to the last link, and school was starting the next day! I stayed almost all day at school with Keegan, and did really well, I didn't cry until I got to the car and pulled away from the curb. Then the tears came, uncontrollably. But, when I had my "hour off" on Tustin's first day of school (I stayed all day, except for about an hour), HE started to cry, so I stayed strong for him, and didn't cry. He did great the rest of the day though, stopped crying, and participated in everything. It's hard, having to go EVERY day for him, but he's getting used to it, and likes it!

Mommy Got to Stay!

They have a great kinder, first-day program at the boys' school! Mommies and/or Daddies get to stay with their kinder ALL DAY if they want to! And, all day I did stay! I helped the class with crafts, and writing their names on their projects. I played with them out at recess. I even ate lunch with them, and helped open juice boxes and various packages, and listen to fun stories of the babbling 5-year olds who love to talk!! And I just found out the best news this weekend, of the 3-5 kids in Tustin's class who are "handfuls," we'll say, the one kid who was most disruptive to the whole class, all day long, got transferred to the other kinder class! YAY for us. Sorry for the other class, and actually for the little boy who has a terrible home life, but, Yay for us!!