She’s a Pro

I can not decide if I should be proud or if I should be heavy hearted that my nine year old is a complete professional patient. The girl can rock a doctors appointment, hospital visit, treatment and even full anesthesia procedure like she is getting paid to do so! Riley knows the paper work drill, when to stick out her hand to show her identification bracelet or to put the blood pressure cuff on. She knows to take off her shoes to get her weight, to lift her arm for an armpit temp reading, to stay still as a doctor or 7 examin her and when things are about to get scary and I need to pick her up. She really and truly amazes me! But when I chalk it up to her literally having done this HUNDREDS of times, it definitely breaks my heart! 

This morning was her Botox procedure where she goes under full anesthesia for over 50 injections in her left hand, arm, shoulder and salivary glands. Despite leaving our house at 5am, not having had breakfast and knowing full well what she was getting into as this is her 5th time, she was a happy and sweet girl. After hours of pre-op stuff she did not fight it one bit for me to put the gas mask on her sweet little face to get her to sleep before her IV went in. The procedure took longer then normal because they couldn’t find a vein and she came out brusised and having a hard time maintaining her temperature but she was still calm and was happy and had typical behavior, appetite and mood the rest of the day! 

Tuesday she had an Endocrinology appointment that went even smoother then today. Both the doctor and I decided against growth hormones that were being considered (why would we do that?!) and we moved on. It was extra fun that cousin Addie had an appointment at the same hospital at the same time so we got to see her too! 

I was thinking today that doctors offices, hospital visits and procedures is a way of life for Riley and she doesnt know any other way. I occasionally get someone commenting about me being a single mom, a twin mom or a special needs mom, and my response is always something to do with the fact that I don’t know it any other way. I do wish with all of my heart that Riley only knew life as a healthy kid who rarely sees the doctor, but things just didn’t work out that way. So since she needs all the extra care I am just SO thankful she is as amazing as she is! My guess is as the years go on and the appointments continue to stack up by the hundreds, I bet she will continue to rock the hand she’s been dealt and probably smile thru the whole dang journey. 

Yep she will definitely smile! 

Meanwhile I will just sign the papers, hold her tight, answer the questions and marvel at who Riley truly is. 

Yep, I will definitely marvel! Oh and fingers crossed we will get some good news, some good people and some good sleep along the way! 

I Stand in Awe

This weekend I have stood in awe of these two sweet little spirits that the Lord has lent to me. I know that they are His but I sure am grateful that He shares them with me! They are constantly amazing me and teaching me so I’m not too sure who is really leading who here. Either way I am so blessed to face this world as a party of 3 with my Keagan and Riley! 

Today was the Primary Program day at church. Once a year the children’s ministry takes over our congregation’s main meeting to testify of Jesus Christ in the most pure and simple way that only children can. It is my favorite Sunday of the year! This years theme was “I am a Child of God” and all these sweet kids from age 3-11 testified of that. I loved the inspiration that  knowing we are a child of God should be an anchor for our testimonies and our lives. In a cute little quartet,  Keagan sang so beautifully the first verse of “Families Can Be Together Forever” and all the other songs like “I am a Child of God”, “Follow the Prophet”, “A Childs Prayer” and many more with the whole primary. Her part was “when I pray I show my thanks to Heavenly Father.” Riley was happy to be on the stand and had her big gorgeous smile and the occasional wave. She was reverent like we had talked about all week since their last practice had Keagan getting me out of class because Riley wasn’t being so reverent. Riley did great and her part was “Heavenly Father answered my prayers when he gave me the strength and the help I needed to get out of my wheelchair and learn how to walk, run and play.” Keagan was wonderful and helped her to the pulpit and back to her seat. I just loved every bit of it and felt the Spirit so strongly! My testimony was strengthen by those sweet simple truths but I also totally broke protocol and videoed in the chapel! Oh my! 

Yesterday Keagan and Riley rocked a cheerleading clinic at Klein Oak! After getting new shirts which Riley is of course obsessed with, in 3 hours they learned the fight song, a cheer and a dance to the drum line from the current Klein Oak cheerleaders. Keagan lucked out that her friend Kenzie was there and she really had so much fun as I knew that cute girl would. Riley went with the younger kids and had a whole bunch of Mahaffey Scottie’s including Phoebe in her group that was led by the sweetest Oak cheerleaders who did great with Riley! At the end of the clinic all the participants performed and both my girls loved every second of that! Riley was as darling as ever and Keagan really did a fantastic job! 

The plan was for all the girls to also perform at the Klein Oak football pre-game last night, weather permitting. Well despite the rain Keagan and Riley were still insistent on trying to still perform and I get major mom points for helping them try only to get there and the performance was canceled. We had to take a picture of proof that Keags, Riley and Phoebe were willing to get drenched in order for the show to go on! Instead we went to Fuddruckers with the Flores family and ended up working pretty hard to get 4 stuffed animals from the claw machine for 4 happy kids! We took lemons and made a super fun lemonade night and the girls didn’t complain one bit! 

That’s dedicated discipline (one of our plaid core values) if I’ve ever seen it! 






Check out these great shots! Both Keagans face and mine in the mirror! 

Riley with two feet off the ground!

4 darling happy kids!

You know what, much too often I really stress over what I am teaching and providing for these two girls or more fearfully what I’m not teaching or not providing for them! But then I stand back and marvel at who they are becoming and the great life we have together! It is all going by so fast but this weekend was a great example of all the fun and rich experiences that we are having. I’m really just trying my best over here and still screwing up way to much of this motherhood thing! But these two are rocking this growing up business despite my insisting they stay little! And while they do it definitely stand in awe! 

What Is Normal Anyway?

People talk to me about Riley all the time. They often have sweet things to say and sincere questions to ask which I don’t mind one little bit. But every now and again I get a very unwanted, uneducated and unkind comment that can take my breath away. 

Thursday night was open house at the girls school. While we were there, I met the parents of a friend of Keagans for the first time. I was standing there with both my precious girls who clearly heard our conversation when the not to be named mom said “you know the good thing is Riley really looks like she is ALMOST NORMAL! I mean besides the drool you can’t really tell.” 

Yep. She said that! And aren’t you so proud of me that I didn’t punch her straight in the face? To be honest, later that night I briefly regretted not doing so! But instead I responded with “oh who wants to be normal because that’s so boring! She is SO amazing being exactly who she is! And actually none of us (referring to the three Kikuchi girls) are normal and we like it that way!” She didn’t have much of a response and we walked away in order to not ruin our night. Open house is serious business after all. 

We moved on with our night and had a great time. But as soon as we were safely in the car, after saying she wants to be just like Mrs Mason and Mrs Hernandez when she grows up, a loving Keagan said “hey mom, don’t worry I don’t really like (that girl) anyway. She’s not a very nice person.” And we proceeded to have a great conversation about just how ignorant some people can be and how our words have power. That of course was followed up at home with three things. One was a ridiculous amount of hugs and kisses for both girls before bed. Another, once both girls were peacefully asleep, was tears from a momma who wishes she could shield both her babies from any ugly in the world. And eventually relief in knowing those same babies have lots of love in their life to combat that ugly! 

Despite the hurtful and ignorant comment, open house on Thursday was great. Keagan got a little overwhelmed by the 4th grade STAAR test samples but was releived to realize her teachers will prepare her. And as usual, both girls of course loved seeing lots of friends and staff that they love. 

That was after the night before where we saw a lot of the same people at spirit night at Spring Creek BBQ. We sure love Mrs Goolsbee and Trey!

Keagans selfie explanation of herself. It says kind, funny, helpful, caring, loving, creative. She nailed it! 

Also at school the girls are both loving the Scottie choir every Tuesday morning and seeing their art hung in the halls! 






Even though some days it feels like we spend a big chunk of our time inside those Mahaffey walls, we’ve also had great times outside of them as well. I’m talking play dates with Avery where the girls made up the best dances and one where they made dinner, Activity Day Girls activities about nutrition and Keagan crashing yet another young women’s activity with an awesome photo bomb. 

And the fun doesn’t stop! Keags continues to try to recreate the kids baking challenges at home, she did a real science experiment this week, and last Sunday she made us all breakfast! Last week at the end of Family Home Evening when we got the Jenga game out to play she said “I think you better start calling me by my full name Keagan Jenga Master Warrior Kikuchi!” And she got VERY exciting news this week about her role in her musical “Elf Jr.!” She got the role of Jovie which is one of the leads and she is SO excited! 

Riley is thriving in her class with her new teacher Mrs Acosta and she ready for baseball season to start. But she is becoming more and more of a home body and wants to stay home whenever possible. It seems her favorite thing to do lately is sit in her high chair to snack and watch tv. She cracks me up when I seriously have to force her to get out and play! She has also traded in her showers for long baths full of princess toys and she is beginning to sleep in a tiny bit more on the weekends. Sounds like she’s becoming more like her momma and I love it! 

Besides all of the above, last weekend the three of us made the house so cute and decorated for Halloween and the big double digit birthday party is officially planned. In other words we are busy having so much fun that not only do hurtful comments not have time to really hurt but we are happy as can be being everything but normal! 

By the way, what the heck is normal anyway?!