7 MINUTES in Lancaster

On Father's Day the Wong's left town for a week in Lancaster. 

We had BIG plans!!!

Tickets to see Thomas, a day In Hershey, reservations to visit 

a real working farm (complete with milking a cow), Dutch Wonderland, 

and a horse and buggy ride. 

The kids were beyond excited and could not wait for daddy to get off work at 3:00 so we could pack the car and get on the road. At 3:30 the mini van pulled out of the driveway and James' first trip to Lancaster, PA was underway. 

At 5:00 we stopped to eat at Cracker Barrel. 

It was shaping up to be a great day!!! 

At 7:00 we arrived at the lodge. 

We got the room key and daddy went to the room . 

Mommy took the kids to the little swing set set near the country road. 

The kids were VERY excited!!! 

Zoey admired the flowers. 

Mama took pictures of course. 

They ran and played....

...James giggled in delight as he watched the "Buugy Horses" ride past...

...For about 7 minutes the kids had an awesome time. 

Then as I snapped this picture sweet baby James fell from the ladder of the slide, the slide that he went up and down with ease on just moments before. 

Time seemed to stand still. 

My poor baby boy was screaming on the ground so loud, yet the 10 feet that I had to run to get to him seemed miles away. It felt like I was moving in slow motion... and everything was blurry. 

Even though he didn't fall far, even though that visibly you could see nothing wrong with his arm, I knew that we had to go immediately to  the hospital. I knew the cry he was crying was one of horrible pain. I heard that cry before - it was that same gut wrenching cry that I listened to for hours when my poor boy realized that everything and everyone he knew in Korea was  gone and that Omma wasn't coming back. 

 The horrible cry that I prayed so hard to stop hearing because I couldn't stand to see this poor baby in so much emotional pain and grief was back, but this time his pain was physical. 

This time he cried my name as I held him. 

The ride to the hospital seemed like forever. 

I never imagined passing horse and buggies as we rushed our little boy to the hospital. 

Not once, not ever, in all my parenting dreams. 

Ironically, the ER entrance was located on James St. 

I held my big baby boy in the waiting room. 

In true James nature, he knows what he wants and isn't afraid to ask. 

Between the sobs and screaming I heard, "Rock you baby Mama". 

James loves to be rocked and sang too. We usually keep it to the privacy on his bedroom. 

So, what did this mama do? 

I rocked my baby of course. 

Right in the middle of the waiting room at Lancaster General, among the Amish that occupied the seats around us, I rocked my baby and sang the rock a by baby song.

And the Twinkle Twinkle Song. 

And the Wheels on the Bus. 

Thank God the wait was short and I am pretty sure I will never see any of those people again. 

I prayed it wasn't broken. 

James quickly learned if he was careful in his movements it wasn't so bad. 

By the time we go to x-ray he was calm. 

He was saying "cheese" during the x-rays even. 

I began to have hope that maybe it was just a sprain - that this wasn't so bad. 

Then the doctor came out and said he would need a cast - that he broke his elbow. 

We headed back to wait and then were told they needed more x-rays. 

Then we were told he needed surgery and an orthopedic was on his way. 

Then I panicked. 

It was late at this point, but I needed another opinion. 

I wasn't so sure of having James have surgery in Lancaster. 

I wanted a second opinion. 

So, I called my pediatricians office and called the on call nurse. 

The nurse got our doctor on the line. 

And our wonderful pediatrician discussed everything with us. 

He is kinda awesome like that. 

He didn't care that it was late or that we were 3 hours away. 

He just knew that I was a scared mama trying to make the best informed healthcare choice for my son. 

He thought James should see a pediatric ortho specialist. 

Lancaster did not have one. 

Since James wasn't in pain at this point we decided that we would make the trip back to New Jersey and have the surgery at the same children s hospital where Zoey was in the NICU. 

He slept most of the way. 

and for a few hours once we got home at almost 3:00am 

and then we headed to Jersey Shore. 

After several hours in the ER and a zillion more x-rays he was admitted. 

Little Man didn't mind - I think he though he was at an all inclusive. 

He walked around the unit like he owned it. 

He called all the nurses by name, walked the halls, drove the cozy coop. and loved the play room. 

Life is rough!!! 

Most of the time he was a rock star - but after a few days of no sleep he had his moments. 

He even rocked surgery. 

The nurses loved him there too. 

They thought he was hysterical and said they never had a patient wake up from surgery and the biggest concern they have be "Where James underpants". He asked everyone why he didn't have his underpants. 

No crying, no tears, the boy just wanted his underpants!!!!

45 minutes later he was back in his room eating and drinking -

and driving the cozy coupe ( under the influence) through the halls. 

This kid amazes me every single day. 

He is home and up and active - his biggest concern now, 

when can we go to the playground again ?!?!  

Ummm, no time soon!!! 

Lets get the cast off first!!!!

Happy to report, that next week we head back to Lancaster. 

This time I hope we make it much longer then 7 minutes. 

Where Did the Time Go?!?!

Where did the time go???

It seems like yesterday was the first day of school. 

How did September to June pass so quickly?

How is the year complete?

This mama is struggling with trying to figure out where the time went and how my baby is finished ...FINISHED...Kindergarten. 

I think this might be harder then wondering where the preschool years went...

...or even how she was turning five years old....

 because this last year she has just grown in so many ways. 

My baby headed off to school in September and now she is leaving as a little girl. 

(but she will ALWAYS be my baby girl)

She learned to read and write...addition and subtraction.

She learned about the solar system and holiday traditions. 

She lost her first tooth. 

Participated in her first Cheer showcase. 

Went to her first wedding. 

Q + U FOREVER

She participated in her first show. 

Arbor Day!!! 

And received her first "earned" school award. 

Which she gracefully walked across the stage and proudly displayed. 

 She completed her first year as a Daisy. 

Confidently walked the runway in a Career Day Fashion Show. 

She became so much more confident. 

She got taller too. 

I am so blessed to have been there for all of her milestones. So blessed to have been invited into class to share Chinese New Year traditions and celebrate parties and do crafts with the kids. 

I loved picking out spirit week attire and working on Star Student projects. I loved being one of her troops Daisy leaders and loved all that there was to celebrate. 

I couldn't think of a better place for Zoey to go to school then the PLC. 

I am so proud of how she has grown during her time there. 

I am so proud of her. 

She worked incredibly hard this year. Not just on the academics, which so far have come fairly easy to her, but on so many other things. She worked hard in Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy - for most of the year doing 5-6 hours a week of just therapies alone. She met her goals and physically has started to get stronger. 

She worked hard in speech as well. It is so hard to believe that just a few years ago we were working with early intervention because at almost three she had very limited verbal communication and now she uses her robust vocabulary words in everyday conversation. 

She overcame so many of her anxieties. She got on stage numerous times and enjoyed it. She learned to read her body and communicate to me that her heart was beating so fast but she liked it and wanted to keep trying it again. She learned to separate easily from me and really loved going to school - every . single . day. 

She has taught me so much this year. 

I worried so much about her from the moment she was born. 

I would stroke her tiny arm through the porthole of her incubator wondering what kind of road we were looking at. I worried about how being born premature would affect her. I worried about immunizations and why she needed to wear an Apnea monitor for 8 long months because sometimes she needed to be reminded to breathe. I worried about her anxiety and her speech and her allergies. I just worried. 

This year she taught me that she is going to be just fine. 

Better then fine. 

Its easy to be proud of the things that come easy to your children. 

Its easy for me to be proud that Zoey excels in math and that she is reading at a higher then expected level.  

Its so much harder to find beauty in the small successes but those surely are the most Beautiful successes. 

This year I found beauty in watching my daughter go to more birthday parties then I can count. 

I was one proud mama seeing her hold the invitations while asking if she could go to xyz's party.

I was proud because I remembered the time when my baby was too scared to 

go to a party with so many people.  

I found beauty is watching the excitement of my little girl happily get on the bus each morning because she was happy and excited to go to school. 

I was so proud that she wanted to try new activities because there was a time when she would have much rather spend her time in her safe place - her home. 

I found beauty in her enthusiasm to make new friends and have play dates. 

This year I am just incredibly proud for all that she has overcome and for all that she has grown. 

I am proud to have a daughter with such a kind heart. 

A daughter who tries her best to be caring and considerate. 

A daughter who has brought me more joy then I could have ever imagined.