Whirlyball, Dentist Appointments, Busted Lips & Pictures!

March 15, 2015

Whirlyball, Dentist Appointments, Busted Lips & Pictures!

If you've never done Whirlyball, you really should! When you combine bumper cars, lacrosse and basketball and make it a competition - how can it not be fun?

Last weekend we reserved the court for two hours and invited family and friends to celebrate Mitch and Jennie's 31st birthday. Ten of us could be on the court at a time, so teams were constantly changing. Right away, Harper and Emmett were the only kiddos. Since Whirlyball isn't a toddler friendly activity, Harper was bummed she couldn't get in on the action. In between games she was able to sneak out on the court and sit in one of the Whirlybugs. That was enough to keep her content for a while until more kiddos showed up.

By the end of our two hour time slot, my arms and back were sore from all the intense Whirlyball battles. We played, drank, ate and mingled. It was the perfect outing for a birthday gathering and I can't wait to go back!

Last week was unseasonably warm. We were being spoiled with 50 and 60 degree temperatures and it's only early March. I tried telling myself not to get too excited about the weather, since I know in my gut that our Minnesota winter surely isn't over. There has to be at least one more unwanted snowfall - there always is.

The early spring temps ended the hibernation for most folks in our neighborhood. Everyone was outside, taking walks with their kiddos or canines - and I was loving every minute of it. Harper was glad to be able to play outside again, she even introduced Emmett to our swing set. The fresh air and sunshine was heavenly all week and the little snow we had is now just a memory. Maybe Spring really is here, or maybe that's just wishful thinking.

Wednesday was a big day in the Helleen house, we all went to the dentist. Mitch and I had neglected the dentist for far too long which made me anxious and nervous for my checkup. Harper had her first dental experience and did just fine. She sat in the chair by herself and let them count her teeth. They carefully explained their tools and let the toothbrush tickle her finger. They polished one of her front teeth and asked if they should do another one, Harper responded, "no, I'm fine." That pretty much wrapped up her time in the dental chair. Patty and John were so sweet and filled her goody bag to the brim. She's even spoiled at the dentist! :)

On Thursday we had made our regular plans for a TFFN. We renewed our Community Center membership and decided to play on the playground outside since the weather was so nice. Emmett and I were sitting on the park bench, and within 3 minutes Mitch was carrying a crying Harper over to us. He plopped her down on the bench and I immediately saw blood on her face and more coming from her mouth. We cleaned her up and found that she bit the inside of her top lip. It looked awful and her lip was starting to swell.

We decided to take her over to Mitch's parents so Deb could take a look. (It sure is nice to have a nurse in the family!) After a quick glance at her lip, we all decided it wasn't worth bringing her into urgent care since the bleeding had slowed down and the possibility of stitches seemed traumatic. Rather than urgent care, we treated her busted lip with popsicles and her choice of shows OnDemand. That seemed to do the trick. Her lip is looking better each day and I'm hoping it will be close to normal for dance pictures on Tuesday. Clearly her playground skills are a little rusty, we have some work to do! :)

A couple weeks ago we met with Kristen Anne Photography to capture Emmett's 6 month photos. We were excited to open the mailbox this week to find a package with all the photos. Although E was a little cranky since he had 3 shots the day before, she still managed to get some great shots! Thanks for the great work Kristen, as always! (Below are a few of my favorites!)