Rock Chalk Jayhawk!

Since I haven't blogged since the tragedy at Carter's school (for which I've provided a brief update at the very end), I wanted to put something a little "happier" at the top of the queue...  So what better than a picture of the cutest little boy on the planet hugging my favorite college mascot?

The KU Alumni Association hosted a happy hour in August (free food and beer!) and in the corner of the brewery, they had a giant inflatable Jayhawk.  As soon as Carter saw it, he ran up to it and gave it a big hug (cue "AWWWW!" from everyone in attendance) - and I captured the sweet moment with my phone camera:

All of the Greenies are looking forward Fall and a little KU basketball!!!  This is the year, folks!

Hope you had a nice long Labor Day weekend!
Kerrie

PS Just a quick update on the daycare drama:  Sandra (Carter's teacher) was indicted, but only after the Attorney General passed the decision off to a Grand Jury at the 11th hour.  Sandra's immigration status is in question (and before you get all judgmental on me and complain about the illegals in this country, take a step back…).  She was brought to this country by her parents at age 9 and I can only guess that at NINE she wasn’t questioning her citizenship or questioning whether the paperwork was filed to allow her to freely stay in the US...  While the daycare DID complete the background checks during her hiring, they aren’t required to check citizenship status.  And sure, I’m not a lawyer, but I don’t think ANY state is required to fully check and ask for documentation about your immigration status during a criminal background check (sans Arizona…).  So all those idiots on the media pages throwing daggers at my daycare owners calling for them to close up shop for hiring illegals, well, get off your soapbox.  They followed the rules, they did the background checks, and again, this is a horrible, unfortunate tragedy.  Plus, I don’t frankly care WHAT your citizenship is when you’re providing safe, loving care for my son!

I digress…

So because Sandra’s immigration status is in question, the family (who I might add does NOT want to press charges  - remember, the little boy that died was Sandra’s nephew) cannot post bond.  If they post bond, Sandra will be transferred to an immigration holding facility in El Paso and will subsequently be deported to Mexico.  No one wins in that scenario.

As such, we all wait.  The Greenies were unable to attend Gabriel’s funeral (it was on a Thursday), but we sent a generous sum of cash to Gabriel’s mother and a heartfelt sympathy card.  They’ve also opened a bank account to help cover funeral and legal expenses.  I also wrote a very thorough character reference letter for Sandra and I will be the first in line to testify on her behalf when it comes time to do so.

With our legal system moving so quickly here in New Mexico, I can only imagine that Sandra’s case will not come up for 2 more years.  The last case that I’ve read about was a woman that left her 1 year old in the car while she went for a doctor’s appointment.  That was in 2009 and it’s just NOW in the legal system.  Sandra’s already missed her own son’s 1^st birthday by sitting in jail and will no doubt miss many more.  IF, and a big IF, she is convicted of “child abuse resulting in death,” the _minimum_ punishment is 18 years in jail.  At age 19, that’s nearly a lifetime…

Our heart still goes out to Sandra and the whole family.  Wish I could invent that time machine and go back to that horrible morning in August…

Heartbreaking Tragedy

[Caveat: Some of this is not in the news yet... This is MY interpretation of the course of events and my text may not be re-published without my permission.  I'm only writing this to empty my brain, not to start rumors or incriminate anyone.]

On Monday, there was a tragedy at my son's daycare center.  A 2-year-old boy, one of Carter's friends, was accidentally left in his carseat in a locked car behind the school and perished in the blazing sun.  The boy was a relative of Carter's teacher (the individual that [allegedly] left the boy in the car) and the boy's mother is a teacher at another daycare (same owner, across town).  The car was parked behind the school in a lot that is not easily visible by anyone, so it is not surprising that he was not found until the late afternoon when the first teacher went home for the day.

I cannot fathom the pain the little boy must have felt, nor can I fathom the pain that Carter's teacher will have to live with for the rest of her life.

I arrived to pick up Carter about an hour after the boy was found and the place was crawling with cops, media, and rescue workers.  There was not a dry eye in the place (myself included), as this is a horrific tragedy that one cannot wrap your brain around.  I was escorted by the police to pick up my son and was not told anything about the situation.  However, one of Carter's former teachers very quickly explained the situation, but did not name names.

After leaving, I checked the news stories, put it all together, and nearly threw up.

It. Was. Carter's. Teacher. That. Accidentally. Killed. A. Little. Boy.

This is something just so tragic and something so preventable.  I am still wrapping my brain around this (precisely why I'm typing this blog...). 

But what really gets to me is reading the news stories online. I am sickened by how the media and the public are so quick to judge.  Calling Carter's teacher a murderer.  Fire her!  Close the school!  And worse, suggesting that she be left in a hot car to die as a suitable punishment for her crime.

Well, when I arrived to pick up Carter, I saw her.  She was being interviewed by the police.  She looked like a ghost.  An empty shell of a human.  I know her.  I trust her.  And I have no doubt that this was an accident and as "punishment," she will by nature pay dearly for the rest of her life.  She didn't mean to do this.  She did NOT murder that little boy.  She does NOT need to be left in a hot car to die as punishment.

Around 7PM, the owner called me to tell me that the school would be closed on Tuesday so that everyone can grieve.  She very steeley explained what happened and as I predicted, it was a non-routine event:

1) Carter's teacher was bringing the boy to school because the mother was unavailable; something that was done by her about 3 times a year.

2) She teaches an older class of 3's, so she wouldn't have quickly noticed if he was in the younger class (because she was busy with my kid's 3's class) and the teachers in the 2's class would not have quickly noticed, since he was not a regular student.

3) No one would have checked the employee cars in the back lot because the majority of the kids are dropped of by their parents in the front lot, like myself, or the employees' kids arrive at the same time as the employee; plus, the cars should be empty during the day.

All of these events are non-routine.  When the kid was found in the car, the staff did everything they could to "save" him, but by then it was too late.  He was dead.

I read stories like this from time to time on the news and people always wonder how you could "forget" your kid in the back.  Well, while it's not something I've done, I can easily see how it could happen.  I drive the same route every day.  It's routine.  So routine that I often forget something (my laptop, my coffee, etc.).  So what if it WASN'T routine?  I'd say my forgetfulness would be amplified.  And it could happen.  And it does all over the US.  And it's a preventable tragedy.  My car has a sensor that can determine whether or not a child is in the front seat...why haven't car manufacturers included an alarm system that can sense whether a kid has been left in the car?! 

I'm not making excuses for her, nor am I defending her.  What I'm doing is NOT judging her.  I know that she IS a good teacher.  I will continue to send my son to this school.  And I will continue to trust in the care that he will receive there.  They are an extension of our family and will continue to be.  While I can only guess that she will no longer serve as his teacher, if she DOES return, I will hug her tightly and forgive her. 

More than anything, I'm saddened that she will have to live with this pain for the rest of her life.  She is young and has a long life of hell to face.  The family is no doubt destroyed.  She had to face her family when they found out about the boy's death.  I can't even fathom the hell this would be. For example, I couldn't imagine having to call my brother to say I accidentally killed his son.  I couldn't even find the words.


Above all, I am heartbroken by this tragedy and have cried many tears.  I hugged my kid a little tighter yesterday and I slept horribly.  Tomorrow will be a new day and it will be different school that my son will continue to attend.  But we will continue to send him there.  Period.

My advice to all of the parents out there:  Take a minute to hug your kid/kids today.  Kiss them, love them, and cherish them.  Now, I'm going to play with some trucks and squeeze my kid a little tighter.
~kerrie

Random Cute Things

Since I'm light years behind on blogging, but I thought I'd drop in with a completely random post...  Over the last week Carter has made me chuckle by doing some totally cute things.  So I'm going to share a couple of them here:


1) On Saturday we took Carter to Chick-fil-A for lunch and some play time (yes, we're sometimes those parents).  With his kids meal he received a Mercer Mayer "little critter" book called something like "We're Having a Yard Sale."  Since Saturday, I think we've read it 30 times, so I know it pretty well.  Gist is this: Little Critter's family is preparing for a sale.  Little Critter gathers up ALL of his toys to sell, but Mom Critter makes him put some back.  Family makes some money and fun times are had by all.

After a slow recovery from a sick day on Monday, I woke to the sound of Carter chattering away in the hallway and every light in the upstairs turned on (by 5AM, I'll add).  I groggily walked down the hall to see him surrounded by every toy he owns and he was sitting on a stool.  I asked him what he was doing?  "I'm having a garage sale, Mommy!"  (cue awwwwwwww!) However, when I asked him if he'd made much money, he simply replied, "No."

I pushed the toys aside and proceeded to help get him ready for school.  The boy has experienced ONE garage sale (ours, in June), but I guess Mercer Mayer made a bit of an impression, eh?

~~~

2) I've pretty much completed all of Carter's Christmas shopping (thanks to a sweet sale on woot.com).  On Tuesday, I worked late to make up a little time, so Matt picked Carter up from school.  When they got home, in typical routine, they went to collect the mail.  After seeing the mountain of boxes by the front door, Matt said, "Holy Toledo!  That's a lot of boxes!" 

Fast forward to Wednesday where Carter has been saying "Holy Toledo!" about pretty much everything...  So I explained to him that Toledo is a "city."  And then I explained that Albuquerque is a "city" and Grandma lives in this city and Hannah and Micah live in that city and Aunt Becky lives in another city, etc. etc.

Carter pauses a bit to digest this information and then says, "Mommy, do we live in Holy Toledo?" (cue awwwwwww!")

That's some good parenting, there, eh?

~~~

So there's your random cuteness for the day.  But WAIT!  Here's a random cute photo of Carter wearing his very first bicycle helmet (backwards, not yet adjusted, but must be on NOW!). 

Safety first, people.  It IS Friday the 13th after all!
~kerrie

Sleepyhead (in Boots)

I couldn't resist snapping a photo of my favorite sleepyhead last night.  Carter insisted on wearing his slipper boots (from Liam - thanks Amelia!) to bed.  After he was snoozing, I snapped this photo of him sleeping.

Paired with his monkey PJs - that don't match...top from a boys set, bottom from a girls set - his Darth Vader pillow, Spiderman, Captain America sheets, Thomas the Train, and blanket from Aunt Katrina, he certainly looks adorable!

Hope you sleep this peacefully too!
~kerrie

Congratulations to DOCTOR Kristin!

This post is a little over due...  But better late than never!  Oh wait, that's what we say about our pal (and neighbor), Kristin!  It's ABOUT TIME she finished college!! :)  Only kidding, Kristin!  It is with great honor that we were able to share in the celebration of your graduation (from her chemical engineering studies, I might add...) from graduate school at UNM! 

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

For fun, I thought I'd post a few of my favorite shots of you from our 2008 trip to Ireland!  Here's the lovely DOCTOR Kristin taking in the sites (and even a pic with DOCTOR Justin snuggling on a bench) - and trust me when I say that her smile is even bigger now that she's got that diploma in hand!

We couldn't be happier for you and congrats on finally finishing the big one!

Your pals,
Kerrie (and Matt and Carter)

Congratulations to Jenn and George!

This is just a short little post to finally say a big CONGRATULATIONS to one of my most favoritest SWE members on the planet....Jenn!

Although we were unable to attend the wedding (long story short, Carter, who was slated to be the ring bearer while I stood up alongside Jenn...well, he got sick and we couldn't make the road trip - per Dr. R's instructions), anyway, point is, Jenn and George got hitched and we're over the moon that these two crazy kids tied the knot!  Here's a shot from a year ago in Palm Springs...aren't they simply adorable?!

Jenn, George, here's to a happy, long, and wonderful marriage!  Wish we could have been there to share in the fun, but really, the fun's just beginning!!

Your pal,
Kerrie (and Matt)

Snow (A Random Post...)

This is just a random post...  I was pulling some work photos off of my camera and came across a shot of Carter riding his trike in the snow at the beginning of April:

He looks so serious and that's because he was actually home sick that day.  Being the great parent that I am, I figured it would be prudent to let him have a few minutes of fun while warding off a ferocious fever.  We then spent the rest of the day watching Christmas movies, because that's just what you're supposed to do in April! :)

We all need a sick/snow day here and there, eh?
~kerrie

The Cutest Ring Bearer on the Planet

I swiped these two photos from my sis-in-law's FaceBook page (thanks Stephanie!) and couldn't resist sharing NOW...

I think Carter qualifies as the cutest ring bearer on the planet, eh?
And with his new BFF, Sonia, in action:
Say it with me now, "Awwwwwww!"
~kerrie

PS As soon as I figure out how to transfer the videos from one computer to this one, I'll write the actual post about the wedding...

Congratulations to Stephanie and Donnie!

It's a GIRL!

Congratulations to my SWE pal Stephanie and her husband Donnie. "Baby Dos" (that's two, for the non-Spanish speakers) arrived yesterday! Eleanor Frances weighed in at a healthy 9 lb, 6 oz and is as adorable as can be (photo swiped from Stephanie's FaceBook page - thanks Steph!):

Here's to a few restful nights caring for Eleanor and also big brother Donnie! Congratulations!
~kerrie

Congratulations Aplenty!

In lieu of posting a half dozen "congratulations" posts, I thought I'd cram everything right here into one post! Also because, well, I'm lazy!!!

I want to first and foremost start with a big HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my favorite little boy - as you know from my previous post, as of March 2, Carter is now THREE!
The big CONGRATULATIONS goes to him for being such a big boy and seamlessly moving into the "three's class" at school! He comes home every day with a big smile on his face and he's learning more and more every day! We love you Carter!!

Next up - babies! Over the last month, our friends have welcomed home their babes with open arms!

First, CONGRATULATIONS to our Oklahoma friends, Kaleb and Murphy, on their new addition to the family! After being on the adoption wait list for nearly 2 years, they finally brought home their son, Martin, in March! We couldn't be happier for them and I simply can't wait to come squeeze his cute little cheeks! It was a private adoption, so sorry, no photos at this time.

Next up, CONGRATULATIONS to our Albuquerque friends, Dan and Mary Beth, on their new addition to the family! Last week, little Sophia was born! The photo (stolen from Dan's FaceBook page - thanks Dan!) shows her sleeping happily with her head of ample black hair! AWWWWW!
And my last congrats goes out to Matt's brother, John, and his new wife, Stephanie! They were married in a beautiful ceremony on Saturday! I'll actually have a separate post detailing Carter's first experience as a ring bearer. But here's to John and Stephanie!
Ok, as a teaser, here's a shot of my HANDSOME boys at the hotel before we left for the church (yes, Carter's playing with the thermostat - always into something!):
Congratulations all around! I'll have a second congrats post coming soon, since my SWE pal Stephanie is currently at the hospital delivering her boy/girl! And we have more weddings coming up to share with you!

~Kerrie

Carter's 3-Year Photo Shoot

If you can believe it, our boy is already THREE! To keep with tradition, the Greenies went for an annual photo shoot and to further keep with tradition, it went just as well as it has in the past... Keep reading, you'll see why!

But before I begin, how 'bout a few stats. Carter is now weighing in around 32 pounds (skinny), and around 3.5 feet tall (very tall). Fits in mostly size 3T's, with some 4T's mixed in. He's still a happy, easy going kid, loves to eat nearly everything (except McD's chicken nuggets - NOT a fan), he's extremely talkative (gets that from mom), and is currently all-about superheros (gets that from dad).

We couldn't be happier with his school and his new "three's class." In just the first month, they've made volcanoes, paper mache bunnies, and he's now full-time playing at the "big kids playground." It's so comforting to know that the teachers (and other kids) love him dearly and he has fun at - and looks forward to going to - school each day!

But let's get to the fun part - the photos. I'll start with my favorite shot - say "awwwwww!"
Same pose, goofy grin like daddy:
We tried to add in a basketball (it was during March Madness - ROCK CHALK JAYHAWK!):
Few more with the ball:
(and weird pose with his thumb in his pocket?)
We tried playing catch - but this one looks like he's raising the roof! Paaaarty!
Eh, just put it on your head, ok Carter?
Back to sitting:
A few family shots (and wardrobe change) - Matt either has a goofy grin:
Or Carter is looking at something else:
Try that again while standing:
We tried a few shots with "Kitty in the Hat" (a gift from Aunt Nancy - Carter's bday is the same as Dr. Seuss, too):
Back to the star - this one I like how he was leaning on the chair:
So I always enjoy the planning for the photo shoot - for this one, I wanted Carter with his KU shirt, KU bear (a gift from Grandma C), and a basketball - check.

Then I wanted a few photos of the fam in red and blue (KU colors) - check.

Then I wanted a few of Carter with the Cat in the Hat - check.

But it never fails that we end up with a few "random" photos that have NOTHING to do with my plans. So here they are:

A mommy fave - in good Greenie tradition, Carter found a few props at the photo shot - this fireman hat was sitting off to the left:
And then he found a big dalmatian - awwwwwwwwww!
And finally, the most random prop in the place - a giant rubber ducky. Why not, eh?Hope you are enjoying watching our little boy grow up as much as we are and I also hope you enjoyed reliving our annual photo shoot!

Happy Spring!
~Kerrie

Like, Totally Radical Girls Night Out!

So, like, I haven't written a blog in about a decade or two, so I figured I'd just go right back to where I left off... THE EIGHTIES!!

That's right, the girls and I spent an evening at the roller rink in our finest 80's attire (and hair...and legwarmers...and braces!). Here's a nice photo taken with Jennifer's camera (thanks for sharing these pics Jennifer!):
L-R: That's Jennifer, Liz, Alicia, me, Myja, Holly, Burma, Amelia, and Sarah and Beth in the bottom row.

We're, like, totally hot, huh?!

We then took a second picture and ended up with three little kids in the shot:
You know, like, whatever works, huh?

Hoping to get caught up soon, because, OMG do I have a lot to share!
~kerrie

Congratulations to Mandy and Jamie

Just a quick little post for our good pals, Mandy and Jamie back in Kansas!

Starting with a big....
Their adoption of Leland Allen was finalized on December 30th! Can't wait to meet him and let Carter and Leland run wild (and no doubt talk, talk, talk about trucks and cars and things that go!)!

To send our warm welcome, Carter picked out a garbage truck (from Toy Story 3) and some other Toy Story toys for Leland and we shipped it off as soon as we got the news. Here's a shot of Leland playing with his new toys:
With that, a big, heartfelt congratulations from the Greenies to Mandy and Jamie! Here's to a new, fun life living with a little boy! Enjoy the ride, it's a wild one!
~kerrie (& matt & carter)

PS Thanks to Mandy for sending me the photo via text messaging!

Metal Mouth (Part I)

So I've done it. I've gotten braces. At age 35. I'm finally correcting some speech problems that are a residual from a car wreck back when I was 20. You see, I was hit by a drunk driver in college and broke a bunch of my teeth. Over time, the "fake" teeth have shifted around due to the position of my "real" teeth. I've had oodles of dental work done to repair the damage and well, I've been living with the crooked teeth, no problems. I've been living with the overbite, no problems. But the lisp that's formed over the last 15 years, that has to go...

Doc says I'll have these on (and in 6 weeks, bottom ones too) for a minimum of 16 months, probably 2 years. And my speech (and smile!) will definitely improve. Frankly, that doesn't seem all THAT long when I consider that my son is nearly 3 years old and that time went by in a snap!

Day 1, a little dull pain and Day 2 is supposed to be the worst. We'll see, eh? At least I get to sport my Jayhawk colors for the next 6 weeks when showing off my new "metal mouth." So I present to you, a little TMI, my new braces:
(And for the next shot, maybe I'll take the time to put on some make-up or something...)

Wish me luck with these atrocious things!
~kerrie

Story Time

I love this photo more than I have the words to express it... So I'll keep this post short. Enjoy - My nephew (Daniel) and my father (Gary) enjoying a story on Christmas:
Thanks to Katrina for sharing the picture with me, I hope your holidays were just as memorable and, well, perfect.
~Kerrie