WBB and Buckle fracture

Monday morning around 11am, I received a phone call from the school nurse.  She told me that William fell on his wrist during a soccer game at recess.  He came to the nurse with tears in his eyes and in lots of pain. She told me he was ok and asked if she could give him Tylenol.  

I asked to talk to William.   I spoke in an upbeat tone, but the second he heard my voice, he started to cry but yet, he tried so hard not too. "Mom, I am being brave.   It doesn't hurt a lot but I am just sad."   Bless his heart.   I told him he was sad because the fall scared him.  He didn't expect it and it knocked him to the ground.  I told him the nurse would take care of him and I reassured him that if I needed to come pick him up, I would be there quickly.  But William and the nurse both agreed that he could finish his school day. 

Then around 2:15, Mrs. McFadden called me.  She told me she had been observing William all day and he just wasn't trying to use his right hand at all.  She said he was holding his forearm.  Mrs. McFadden thought I should make an appointment with the pediatrician just to be sure nothing was going on underneath the skin. 

I am so glad she suggested it.   We went to see the doctor after school.  An X-ray revealed that William has a buckle fracture. It is a small break and doesn't require a cast.  It is the break you want to have if you fall on your wrist.  I think that is a lucky thing!

So now William has to wear a brace on his right wrist for 2-3 weeks.  He can't play sports during this time, but that is ok. We are just thankful the healing time is quick and that he isn't in a full cast with a broken arm or something worse.  

Heal quick WBB! The soccer team needs you!

William's 7th birthday celebration

 

William's birthday fell on a Friday this year.  When he woke up, he had 7 balloons bouncing around his room.  He was SO please when Adeline, Dada and I came in his room bright and early singing (loudly) "Happy Birthday."  He was beaming ear to ear!  Seven on the 7th is his GOLDEN BIRTHDAY!  William's been waiting for this day for the last 2 years......The Golden Birthday sounds so exciting to a little kid!

For his birthday lunch, William asked me to bring him a cheese pizza from Schlotzsky's.  I met him in the cafeteria and had a great time eating lunch with him and all his buddies.  The cafeteria conversations are hilarious.

William's class party was right after lunch in his classroom.  He requested sports themed donuts.  The kids all loved the donuts and William was really proud passing them out to his friends. 

On Friday night, Dan and I surprised William with tickets to see The Harlem Globetrotters.  William didn't really know what to expect, but once he saw they are a basketball team, he was pumped!  We had a great time watching the Globetrotters perform their cool tricks.  

The Golden Birthday boy had a wonderful day! 

Then on Sunday we hosted William's birthday party at Soccer City.  Truet is a friend from school and he shares a birthday with William.  So, we celebrated with a joint birthday party.  20 boys from their grade came to play games and run around the soccer complex.  William had a really good time!  The boys played dodge ball, ran relay races and played a scrimmage soccer game. 

We served cake and ice cream to the boys after the play time was over.  Truet had a birthday cake and William requested a cookie cake.  According to William, the fire coming out the back of the soccer ball on his cookie cake was awesome! 

The party was a huge hit!  Lots of kids, lots of chaos and two very happy birthday boys!


This little project was the first thing I saw when I entered William's classroom.  I had to take a picture of it.

Happy 7th Birthday William!

Happy 7th Birthday to my WBB!

SEVEN!  WOW! We made it!  I remember when you were born and I would spend countless hours rocking you to sleep at night.  During those late nights, my mind would wander and drift into daydreams about your future - what you would look like, what kind of child you would be, your interests and your personality....all those "unknowns" at the time.  And I remember thinking to myself, "I wonder what you will be like in 7 years?"  I don't really know why I hit on "7 years" instead of age 3 or 5.  At the time, I think 7 sounded so grown up and SO FAR AWAY.

And here you are.  SEVEN.

Oh William, I cannot possibly begin to tell you how much I love being your mom.  I prayed long and hard for you and God answered my prayers beyond measure.  The second we met I was overwhelmed with a JOY I had never known before.  Your toddler years are most precious to me because for 4 years, it was just you, me and Dada.  I soaked up every second of those days because I knew I wouldn't get them back.  There is a place in my heart where I hold dear memories of just the two of us exploring the world.  We'd ride buses, trains, and camp out at the airport for the entire day.  We'd spend hours at the park, take walks, watch airplanes fly at night, study rocks, sticks and dirt.  We would sit and read piles of library books all afternoon and take naps on the couch.  Whatever we wanted to do, we'd just set out for the day and conquer the adventure.  Such a precious time for me as your mom. 

And what a blessing it has been to watch you grow from a toddler into a little boy.  It's amazing to see your interests develop as you have gotten older.  You are interested in sports and enjoy soccer and basketball.  You like to go to college football games with Dad as well as the ORU basketball games.  You are a team player.  You know the joy of winning and the disappointment of loosing.  But at seven, you understand that winning isn't everything.  You often times remind us that even though you lost the game, you still had fun playing.  I am so thankful for your optimistic spirit. 

You give with all your heart.  Whether it's playing sports or being a friend, William, you are 100% committed.  You walk through life wearing The Golden Rule on your sleeve.  You are a friend to everyone, and that makes me really proud.  You cheer for the underdog and you sit by the lonely kid at the lunch table.  You are kind to your sisters and you are a peacemaker. 

You are a great defender.  It's fun to watch you play soccer and basketball.  You defend your post to the death!  It's exciting to watch the opponent try and get around you.....and it's rare when they do!  No wonder the soccer team nicknamed you "The Grizzly Barron!"

You are a gentle soul.  You are my emotional little fellow.  You are passionate about the moments you are experiencing and you hate to make mistakes.  We've worked on understanding that everyone makes mistakes and that mistakes bring consequences.  Everyone gets in trouble and has to put their nose on the wall at our house!  In fact, you secretly love it when your sisters make mistakes and are sent to the wall.  No one is perfect and you cannot try to make yourself perfect.  You recognize your struggles and we do our best to work through them.  For instance, you are still learning to tie your shoes and ride a bike without training wheels.  These things take time and you will be a rockstar before you know it!

You are SMART SMART SMART.  Your math skills amaze me.  You can add and subtract 3 digit numbers in your head faster than Dada and me.  You know mathematical facts that we don't even know and you LOVE for us to throw out math problems while we are driving.  You seem to remember information after only reviewing it once or twice.  You know Presidents, State Capitals, and love to explore maps. 

There are so many things about you that make me very proud.  And among all the wonderful, there is also the fact that you are growing up and discovering new things.  You are seeking independence and you no longer need my help with everything in your life.  You are testing boundaries and voicing opinions.  All in a good way.  It's exactly what you should be doing.   But it's all an eye opener for your mom because I love holding your hands.  As your mom, the journey is a bundle of excitement and nerves.  There are so many years ahead that bring uncharted territory.  I am working on letting go as much as you are working on growing up.....baby steps for both of us buddy. 

But for now, I am hanging on to THE MOMENT you are SEVEN.  It's a great age William and I am so thrilled to see you lovin' life!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE DELIGHT OF MY HEART!

A few of my favorite things.....William Bradley Barron age 7

To give you some background, I have VERY fond memories of my dad pulling out a spiral notebook at the dinner table and going around the room asking my brother and sister and me all about our favorite things. He 'd write the answers down and note the date and our age at the time of the interview. We did this about 2 or 3 times a year and each time we'd open the notebook, everyone got a kick out of what they said when they were 6, 7, 8, etc. years old. I consider that childhood memory as one of my most "favorite things" about my dad.

William Barron "Favorite Things" age 7.  February 19th, 2014

"My Favorites"

• color - green
• animal - cheeta
• airplane - Boeing 737
• number- 12
• food- pizza
• candy - lollipop
• train - coal car
• toy - runway blocks for building runway designs and my simulator
• sport- soccer
• friend - Michael Cameron, Maddie and Vivienne
• car - Jalopy in my race car bin
• thing about first grade - 2 recesses
• thing to do with Dada - he drives me to school and we talk about stuff
• thing to do with Mom - playing
• book - Aircraft, The Complete Guide
• song - Jingle Bell Rock
• about Bebe - she sleeps in my room when she is visiting and I don't get scared
• about Pops - he reads me books early in the morning when my sisters are not awake and I am visiting his house.  Fishing books.
• about Gram - I made up the nickname Gram Cracker and she is a great story teller
• about Bubba - he talks about Douglass DC3s a lot
• drink - water
• at night - dreams
• about morning - going to school with my dad
• to wear - pjs
• airport - DFW
• place to eat - Schlotskys
• professional sport to watch in person - ORU basketball
• summertime activity - Horn Creek water slides
• activity to do outside - basketball
• holiday - Christmas
• place to go in the car - Bebe's house
• trip this year - Horn Creek
• thing about Santa - he gave me Playmobil
• thing about Anna Baby - she is really cute
• thing about Adeline - she hugs me and I like her brown hair and she looks like me a lot
• thing about being a big brother - they are fun to play with
• best part about being 7 years old - I haven't had very much time with it but I think it was fun going to Florida when I was 7.
• snack - Gram Crackers and Honey Comb Cereal
• dessert - Girl Scout Cookies
• thing about being a Tiger Cub - we learn how to be healthy
• thing about the Pine Wood Derby - that I won 13th place out of 30

 

First Grade Basketball - The Slammers

William played on a basketball team for the first time this year.  He's been practicing his basketball skills for the past year, and he was thrilled to test them on the court.  The team is a Holland Hall team with parent coaches.  Our group is a lot of fun and the parents are all about letting the kids learn the game while keeping the atmosphere positive. 

William has LOVED playing basketball on the team.  After the first game, he asked us to buy him "some of those cool colored shoes all the players wear."  The next thing we knew, a pair of neon green high tops arrived on our doorstep.  William was thrilled and when he puts them on, there's a little extra pep in his step.

Dan got some great shots of him on the court.  Some are blurry, but William never stops moving.  He's a great defensive player and guards his man to the point that the opponent gets frustrated that he can't get around William.  It's kinda funny to watch!

William scored 4 baskets this season.  Way to go WBB!