I confess. There is a super good chance that Christmas Cards won't be coming from my house this there. I apologize. On my list of things to do...that just isn't making it to the top. I've worked 32 hours a week the last few weeks, since I'm going to be off the next 3 for our trip back to Eville. So, between working and sick kids and trying to get packed to leave - it's probably not going to happen. I'm hoping for better next year :).
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Non-sickness related happy news :)
Owen got the lead in the third grade musical. He's super excited. The students had to audition for the roles they wanted, and Owen was pretty confident that he would get the lead. "I'm the only one w/ experience, " he said.
Anyway, the musical is The Tortoise and The Hare. Owen is the tortoise. He sings a song completely by himself and has lots of lines (he says). He's super excited. It's in February :).
Anyway, the musical is The Tortoise and The Hare. Owen is the tortoise. He sings a song completely by himself and has lots of lines (he says). He's super excited. It's in February :).
Monday, December 14, 2009
Now that we're done w/ the diarrhea and vomiting...
Henry has pneumonia again. He started coughing again last night. No big deal. Just a little cough. He just happened to have a follow up appointment w/ his asthma doc this AM. After listening to his lungs, she said that she was fairly certain that he has pneumonia (same as he did 8 weeks ago). She put him back on prednisone, every 4 hours nebs, and a heavy duty antibiotic that kills atypical organisms for 20 days!!! In addition, he has an ear infection - as he did 2 and 3 weeks ago, that still hasn't cleared. She sent him for a chest x ray and a sinus x ray.
Results: pneumonia and a horrible sinus infection. His sinuses were completely blocked. Interesting, because he doesn't even have a runny nose. The radiologist said that it was unusual for a child of his age to have not cleared his past infection and recommended we come back in a month for ANOTHER chest x ray. And, we have to go see a pulmonologist where he will need a bronchoscopy :(.
The bummer part is that we were thinking of leaving to come back to Eville for Christmas on Sunday or Monday, but his doc said she should really see him one more time before we leave. We're scheduled to bring him back Monday AM.
No wonder my baby boy hasn't been sleeping: pneumonia, ear infection, and sinus infection. In the past 2 monthes, he has had pneumonia twice, an ear infection 3 times, 1 sinus infection, and one extended bout of vomiting and diarrhea.
I think we're going back to isolation.
Results: pneumonia and a horrible sinus infection. His sinuses were completely blocked. Interesting, because he doesn't even have a runny nose. The radiologist said that it was unusual for a child of his age to have not cleared his past infection and recommended we come back in a month for ANOTHER chest x ray. And, we have to go see a pulmonologist where he will need a bronchoscopy :(.
The bummer part is that we were thinking of leaving to come back to Eville for Christmas on Sunday or Monday, but his doc said she should really see him one more time before we leave. We're scheduled to bring him back Monday AM.
No wonder my baby boy hasn't been sleeping: pneumonia, ear infection, and sinus infection. In the past 2 monthes, he has had pneumonia twice, an ear infection 3 times, 1 sinus infection, and one extended bout of vomiting and diarrhea.
I think we're going back to isolation.
Friday, December 11, 2009
How many just turned 2 year olds do their own neb treatment???
It's been a while since my last post on November 30 when Henry was down for the count w/ RSV or an adenovirus. He's still sick 13 days later. He spent the first 6 days on prednisone, antibiotics, and being nebbed continuously. On day 5 he started having diarrhea. Day 10, he started puking. And by day 11, he was really quite sick. His oxygen saturation was low and he had lost a pound and a half in 11 days. His pediatrician thought he had one more day to turn around. Thankfully, the vomiting stopped and even though the diarrhea continues (8-10 times a day), he's eating, drinking, and running around. His pediatrician now believes it's a "full blown" adenovirus, and said that the diarrhea can continue for up to 14 days. Today is day 9. Hopefully, he's almost done.
Poor Henry has spent so much of his life with his face mask on doing breathing treatments, that he can do the whole thing by himself. We put the medicine in. He presses the "go" button and climbs in the chair, and holds his face mask on until we tell him he's done. Kind of nice and kind of sad at the same time...
Henry was supposed to get a repeat chest xray this week to make sure his pnuemonia (from 8 weeks ago) had cleared, but since he is sick we had to cancel. And, he was supposed to get his second H1N1 vaccine. I've had to cancel that the last 2 weeks in a row.
I think we may go back to isolation.
This year we went fake...
Our poor allergic Owen spends most of December miserable from his allergies and asthma. His asthma/allergy doc tells us each and every year that it's in large part because of the beautiful REAL Christmas tree we bring into our house.
This year, Owen begged and begged for a fake tree. What choice did we have? We went fake. I learned 2 things in the process. 1. You get what you pay for 2. You have to pay a lot for a beautiful tree.
I bought a 7.5 foot tree at Walmart for $89, and it was the saddest, most pathetic little tree. We immediately took it back and returned it. Then, we found this tree at Hobby Lobby for $300, and I love it. It's a 9 foot tree douglas fir. It's absolutely beautiful, and I'm so far not missing the real thing.
Snow season again..
We had our first snow fall this week. It was a wonderfully long time coming. This year broke a record for the second most days between snow fall. Something like it had been 275 days since it last snowed (at least an inch) in Syracuse. A super duper record to hold as far as I'm concerned...Now, I'm afraid we'll be seeing white until April :(.
I should have pulled the snow boots out before today. Turns out neither boy can fit into their snow boots. And since they wear the same size, I now have 3 size 1 boots that we can't use!! UGH!
We didn't get a lot of snow...a couple of inches, maybe. Just enough for the boys to go out and jump around in.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Out of isolation...
Since we emerged from isolation 2 weeks ago, and have played w/ friends, gone to the gym day care, and spent hours upon hours at the sports center - Henry is now sick again. His pediatrician suspects RSV or an adenovirus. Whatever. Doesn't really matter. All is know is that the child is absolutely miserable and is wheezing like crazy. This equals constant nebbing and more prednisone and antibiotics. He's been on and off antibiotics for a month now, since his eardrum is still shiny red (looks like those ear tubes aren't helping a whole lot). Not so much fun at our house.
In addition, Owen visits the orthodontist tomorrow. I might need to start working more.
PS Ignore the double chins on Eddie in this photo (he's not going to like that I posted this). He really is skinny these days. Really.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Thanksgiving Karaoke
Michelle tries to get Henry to sing karaoke w/ her (more details about our Thanksgiving below). Addison (10 years) is next to Michelle. Logan (almost 13) is on the coach, and Charlie is doing dishes. Missing from the video is Chase - their 6 year old.
What. A. DAY!
Today, we traveled to Binghamton for a soccer tournament. Remember I mentioned that Owen's CNY United soccer team merged w/ another powerhouse - Empire United? Well, this merger has been incredible for Owen's U9 team. We have added 4 fabulous boys to our top 8 fabulous boys to equal one seriously super U9 boy's team. They are undefeated this winter in a U11 league, and haven't even played a tough game yet.
Today, was a challenge for us. We went to Binghamton for a tournament and enrolled in a U12 league. IT WAS AWESOME!
Our boys (plus 2 super spectacular girls that took the place of 2 of our boys that couldn't play - one of those super spectacular girls just happens to be Addison - the Hornsey's daughter) rocked it, and took 2nd place in the tournament. They played boys who were (literally) 2 times their size. Seriously, these 12 year old boys were probably 5'6 - 5'8. And, our boys (one even littler then Owen) didn't back down. Did I mention they were AWESOME?
In the semi-final game they played a team that they had already lost to 2-0 (a HUGE team). And, they tied the team 2-2. Because it was the semi-final game, there couldn't be a tie. They played sudden death - this means first one to score wins. BUT - after every 2 minutes, you have to remove a player. The team played their hearts out. They were tired. EXHAUSTED. But, they kept playing. Finally, there was only 1 goalie and 1 player left per team (our only player being the super spectacular Addison). And, WE WON!!!!! The team rushed to the center of the field and piled on top of one another. One of our coaches (who is 6'5) grabbed Addison and spun her around. It was SO MUCH FUN!!!!
Shoo...we are all exhausted after so much excitement. But, there is another soccer tournament tomorrow :).
Today, was a challenge for us. We went to Binghamton for a tournament and enrolled in a U12 league. IT WAS AWESOME!
Our boys (plus 2 super spectacular girls that took the place of 2 of our boys that couldn't play - one of those super spectacular girls just happens to be Addison - the Hornsey's daughter) rocked it, and took 2nd place in the tournament. They played boys who were (literally) 2 times their size. Seriously, these 12 year old boys were probably 5'6 - 5'8. And, our boys (one even littler then Owen) didn't back down. Did I mention they were AWESOME?
In the semi-final game they played a team that they had already lost to 2-0 (a HUGE team). And, they tied the team 2-2. Because it was the semi-final game, there couldn't be a tie. They played sudden death - this means first one to score wins. BUT - after every 2 minutes, you have to remove a player. The team played their hearts out. They were tired. EXHAUSTED. But, they kept playing. Finally, there was only 1 goalie and 1 player left per team (our only player being the super spectacular Addison). And, WE WON!!!!! The team rushed to the center of the field and piled on top of one another. One of our coaches (who is 6'5) grabbed Addison and spun her around. It was SO MUCH FUN!!!!
Shoo...we are all exhausted after so much excitement. But, there is another soccer tournament tomorrow :).
Thanksgiving Day
Thanksgiving Day actually started w/ Thanksgiving Eve. The Hornsey family invited us and a few other friends over to their house on Thanksgiving Eve for happy hour...which they host every few weeks. Charlie Hornsey is the assistant brewmaster at AB, and they are from Alton, Illinois. We met them 3 years ago when Owen and their daughter, Addison, both joined CNY United soccer at the same time. Since then, our worlds have crossed paths often. So - Thanksgiving Eve at the Hornsey's - we were there chatting and hanging out from oh...about 430 - 800. Then, we went home, put the kids to bed, and the phone rings. Are you guessing what happened next? It's Charlie - telling Eddie he'll be there in a half hour to pick him up, so they can go out. To make a long story short - at midnight, Michelle (Charlie's wife) called them and went to bail them out of the bar.
So...Henry woke up Eddie at 545 that AM, and he spent the rest of the day puking. COULD. HAVE. KILLED. HIM.
On Thanksgiving Day, we went back to the Hornsey's. This photo is Eddie and Charlie asleep on the couch. In their defense, they didn't spend all day on the couch. They pepped up after awhile (Eddie probably knew his life was hanging by a very small thread).
Despite all this, we had a super great day w/ the Hornsey family. We hung out all day (literally...9 hours worth). Talking, chatting, doing karaoke. We were sad that we couldn't spend the day w/ family. But, this was a pretty close second.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Baby - you've got style
Henry is going through this hilarious phase of dressing himself. But, he's not ONLY dressing himself (he still needs a little help) - he's dressing himself multiple times. Layer after layer after layer. This picture is an example of Henry's style. What you can't see is the layers underneath the outer clothes. He also has my sports bra on and another shirt on underneath the red shirt AND he has two pairs of underwear on underneath the black shorts. AND, none of the clothing is his own. Crazy kid.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Henry Edward is 2!!!
My baby boy...my last baby....turned 2 years old on Thursday. Bittersweet. It's bittersweet because those first two years are hard. Every day the kids get older, daily tasks get easier. But, it's also sad. I love cuddling my little guy. And, I LOVE his excitement over the every day things we take for granted. TREE! AIRPLANE! BUS! DOG! FIRE ENGINE! Henry has been our easiest baby. Our best sleeper. The least likely to cry. The most likely to go with the flow. Our latest walker.
He doesn't get to go to playgroups. Or do gymboree or music classes. No - just hanging and playing for us. His 2 years have been very different then the other boys. It's a necessity with 3. Anytime it's just the 2 of us, we're at the store or doing laundry. There's no time for hanging out. We drive the boys back and forth. We hang out at the sports center for soccer practices 4 days a week. He's my sidesick.
At his 2 year check up, he was 35 inches tall (75th%) and 28 pounds (fully dressed w/ diaper - 50th%).
He's a tough cookie and NEVER cries when he falls or hurts himself. Of course, this could be because he's spent a good portion of his 2 years sick (he has another ear infection now - left over from one that never cleared 2 weeks ago - even though he has tubes).
He runs, jumps, spins in circles, and does somersaults.
He goes in the backyard w/ the big boys and I don't hear a peep from him.
He doesn't run or dart from me, and walks cautiously on the road.
He makes friends everywhere we go, and will go to anyone! He smiles all the time, laughs all the time, and talks to everyone.
He can count to three :), and identifies his colors correctly...some of the time.
He can say almost everything, and puts two to three words together, although his words aren't always clear. Drink is "gink", his fave stuffed animal's name is Moppett..he calls it "op op". Interestingly, he still doesn't say Owen OR Emmett..even though he says everyone else's name! He calls Owen and Emmett "boys". If he wants Owen, he says, "boys". Same for Emmett. Bizarre.
He loves to read, and drives matchbox cars around all the time.
He makes the best siren sound ever (why haven't I gotten this on video yet???).
I'm excited to get to know my little buddy as he grows. I'm not sure the person that they are at 2 is who they are at 6 and then 9 and then 12, etc. I feel like my boys have changed a lot.
Henry starts preschool in the fall. I sign him up for it in January. I can't believe it.
I love this kid. Be still my heart.
Henry's birthday party
We had a small gathering for Henry's birthday party. I know it doesn't look small from this photo, but there were only 4 families. I invited Henry's fave people and their families. When Henry sees these ladies, he (literally) leaves my arms and runs into their arms. I love that :). For some horrible reason, I didn't get a picture of one of the ladies, Michelle. I'm going to post one of her soon. I also didn't get a picture of one of other fave families, the Hourihans, our across the street neighbors. I'm going to be working on that, too!
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Someday - World Cup?
My boys have recently taken to talking about how some day...many days from today....they are going to be playing in the World Cup. Together. Owen on offense. Emmett on defense. I love that they love each other.
So, for indoor soccer season this year, we put Owen and Emmett on a house (non-competitive) soccer team. It's a U9/10 league, so Emmett is the absolute youngest (and smallest). But, what the heck? It means they play at the same time every Saturday. Bonus for us. I was a little nervous that Emmett would be intimidated by playing w/ the bigger and older players, but he ran right out there. It's also the first time he's ever played a full field. But, he definitely holds his own. It is so much fun to watch them together. Emmett plays defense and Owen plays offense, so Emmett often passes the ball up to Owen. FUN!
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
What's going on at my house tonight?
Owen's first ever slumber party. Feeling for us?
Owen has been begging for a slumber party for oh...about a year now, and I have finally folded. The deal was that I only let him invite three kids. He thought hard and invited three of his good buddies from soccer. He has been playing soccer w/ these kids on CNY United first and now Empire for 2 years now. And now that they are practicing 3 times a week, he spends a lot of times w/ these kids.
It's 1030 PM as I write this, and they are still going strong. I keep debating about how long I'm going to let them stay up. I don't mind them staying up late, but I don't think I can stay up much longer and I don't want to fall asleep before they do. So....we'll see.
Tomorrow AM, I am taking this crew to Owen's soccer birthday party at 10 AM. Wish us luck.
I thought the boys would spend most of the evening/night playing soccer on the Wii. We even moved the Wii downstairs. I was wrong. They've hardly touched the Wii. Instead, they have played soccer the WHOLE TIME. Whatever panels left on the ceiling before the night began are likely to be gone by morning.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Happy Birthday Owen!
Owen had a great birthday. After his school celebration of cupcakes, he went to soccer practice (playing soccer on his birthday...nothing much better). I asked him earlier if he wanted me to cook a special dinner for him on his birthday or if he wanted to go out to eat, he chose the out to eat. I'm thinking I should be offended.
So, we headed out to eat after soccer, but there was a long wait everywhere he chose and we had Henry. So...we drove through Wendy's and went to Red Robin for lunch the next day.
He was very thankful that his grandparents and aunt and uncle and cousins sent birthday presents, because we didn't get him anything. We got a new bike earlier in the year, and that was his present.
His birthday party (at the soccer center, of course) is Wednesday (they're out of school) AND I must be crazy....but we are hosting our first ever slumber party on Tuesday night. I only let him invite 3 kids and they are all soccer buddies, we'll see how it goes. I must be crazy.
Friday, November 6, 2009
A Dear Owen letter...
On this day nine years ago, our lives were forever changed.
Our first born, Owen, was born at 337 AM, November 6, 2000. We've blinked. And now he turns 9. Nothing has ever been the same. As anyone w/ children knows, going from zero children to one changes things in a way you can't comprehend to imagine before children. What an experience. Your life is never the same. From that point on, your heart belongs inside another person. It's an amazing, and often frightening prospect.
Owen is undoubtedly the sweetest, kindest child you could ever meet. Empathy pours out of his every pore. He cries during the High School Musical song when Troy and (can't remember her name....Vanessa Hudgens) break up. He cried during the movie, UP. He feels everybody's pain like his own. He is the perfect child to lead our three boys, because he always treats his brothers w/ compassion and love. He gives them kind words of encouragement like, "Oh, Emmett....you are going to be a better soccer player then I am really soon." God knew what he was doing making him first. We are so blessed.
It's hard to ignore the challenges we've dealt w/ to, like Owen's horrible, horrible eczema as an infant. His allergies to peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, and the like. And, now his asthma. He doesn't like to sleep and never has. He is scared to be alone, and still chooses to sleep w/ Emmett. Every night. He likes what he wants when he wants it. He always wants to be moving. He always must be doing something. And, he sure likes to argue.
He also has some interesting "quirks". He's never sat through a movie at home, and doesn't particularly care for Disney movies. His favorite channels are the Fox Soccer Channel, The Science Channel, the Discovery Channel, and the History Channel. He doesn't like to read, but he's really good at it. When I force him to read, he'll chose a story about the Titanic, or the Civil War, or his atlas or dictionary. Snooze....He also LOVES to make a good list, and after bringing home a fundraiser for school, he went through and made a tally sheet of how much everything cost. For example, there was 10 things to choose from between $5.00-10.00. He's got a running list of every hurricane that has ever hit and he can tell you (from memory) what year it hit, where it hit, and what it's F score was. In first grade, he took a poll out of friends of family members to track how many different languages people spoke. He's fascinated by the weather and wants to be a storm chaser when he grows up (if he can't be a professional soccer player). His favorite storm chaser is Dr. Josh Worman.
But, he's also a natural leader (he's been picked by his teachers to be the student council representative for his classes 4 years in a row). He's good at everything he does (soccer, lacrosse, acting, singing, piano, reading, writing, math). Oh, and he just won second place for best Halloween story in the whole third grade (out of 4 classes). And, he has confidence dripping from his body by the gallon full. He truly doesn't believe that there is anything he can't do. He never gets his feelings hurt. For example, when we moved to NY and he was just 4 1/2, I took Owen and Emmett to a park to play. I watched my little boy follow this group of kids around, trying to play w/ them. We had just moved here and knew no one. He was desperate for kid interaction. And, as I'm watching him, this little girl turns to him and says, "Stop following us. You can't play w/ us. We don't even know your name." Can you imagine how sad I was watching this? I was quickly trying to think in my head how I was going to take some of his pain away. I shouldn't have worried. Even at 4 1/2, Owen was full of confidence and couldn't imagine any reason why someone wouldn't want to play w/ him. He looked that girl square in the face and said to her, "Well....my name is Owen. Now you know my name, so we can play." The girl replied, "OK". And off they ran. I was so proud of him. At that moment, I knew he was going to be OK. I knew that I could put him in any circumstance, and he would be OK. I count on him. I trust him. He is good and responsible, and an old soul. Our dear friend, Andrea, used to say (when he was 4) that talking to him was like talking to an old man. That's pretty much the truth. He's wise beyond his years. He's as comfortable around adults as he is children. And, even though he was a late talker, he makes up for it in volumes now. This child can talk....and talk.....and talk....I know he is going to be one of those kids, and then one of those adults that is always first, best, and excels at absolutely everything. But, I also know that this gift comes with it's very own troubles. There will be struggles. And, I'm sure that someday I may look back at our past challenges and know that they are nothing compared to what we are now facing.
I pray that his life will always be easy. But, that he also learns the value of hard work. I pray that he leads by example. And, I pray that he faces no harm, and that he never knows what it truly means to be hurt. I pray that he lives life without regret. And, most of all, I pray that he has peace.
Happy Birthday, Owen.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Can you believe this duo?
Emmett has been BEGGING, absolutely BEGGING for sports glasses like Owen's. I have told him, over and over and over, that when he really starts to play sports, we'll get him some. Well this year, he's playing on a U10 league (w/ Owen) and his prescription changed anyway, so we bit the bullet. My hesistation other then finances? Sports glasses are for SPORTS!! And yet Owen insists on wearing his in place of his nice looking blue framed glasses that bring out his gorgeous blue eyes EVERY SINGLE DAY!!! My fear is now Emmett is going to wear his EVERY SINGLE DAY and cover up his big, beautiful brown eyes. UGH! Unfortunately, I have WAY too many other battles to fight, so I'm not fighting this one. And since Emmett's prescription changed, he got another pair of regular glasses, that are just like his old ones (and look awesome on him!). We now own 4 pairs of glasses for Emmett and 2 for Owen. No wonder my budget is running lower and lower.....those things are EXPENSIVE. We see the orthodontist in a few weeks again...so, I may need to be working more :(.
Monday, November 2, 2009
SU ball boy
Last night, Owen had the opportunity (along w/ some of his other teammates) to be ball boy at the final SU soccer game. He had an absolute blast and took his job very seriously, despite the frigid temperatures. And, his team provided the halftime entertainment - they scrimmaged one another on the field.
This was kind of CNY United's last hurrah. This was the final event that was planned as the CNY United soccer team. Their team has now merged w/ the other top soccer team in the Syracuse area, Empire United making them an unstoppable force. Empire United has three teams across NY state, and for the older kids - this brings them national recognition. They even have a contract w/ Adidas. Our boys start practice this week - 3 times a week!!!! Which is a bit much for our U9 boys team, I think. Actually, it's a bit much for the moms and dads. The boys are absolutely thrilled to get to play together 3 times a week. They played their first game together this weekend as a combined team, and seriously - I'm not sure there's another U9 team around that could beat them. They are that good. They squashed a U11 team on Saturday. It's going to be fun to watch.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Our weather family...
Halloween has never been a huge event at our house. My kids have NEVER particularly liked dressing up. Usually, they decide what they are going to be a day or two before Halloween....one year we put a white shirt over Owen's head and he was a ghost. He's also worn his soccer uniform 2 years in a row. They don't like superheros and Disney characters.
So, this year I decided to do something different. This year I had a brilliant...er, crazy.....idea to make their costumes. Fast forward two months, and we were a weather family. Fitting....because of Owen's obsession w/ catastrophic weather events.
Before you give me too much credit, let me point out that I did not think of these costumes myself. Some of them were printed in Parenting magazine. Some were from a friend's idea. Nor did I actually sew them. I did put thread in a needle and went through fabric a few times. But, mainly I used a LOT of fabric glue. I also don't plan on repeating this anytime soon. It took forever to get them done, and it cost a serious amount of money. With all that said, I'm glad I did it. The kids were super excited, and it was fun for our whole family to be a "team" in costumes.
So, without further delay, let me introduce our weather family.
I am partly cloudy w/ a chance of rain (I squirted people w/ water from the squirt bottle)
Eddie was raining cats and dogs (carrying an umbrella w/ webkin cats and dogs hanging from it)
Owen was a tornado
Emmett was a lightning bolt
Henry was a snowball.
Ahhh...what fun!
Henry didn't do a whole lot of walking. It was past his bedtime and he definitely preferred being carried. We'd carry him up to the door and put him down and he'd stand w/ the boys and say, "twick or tweet" which really just sounded like, "tweet tweet". Then, he added, "I toot" which is "I'm cute." After the first 5 or so houses told him he was cute, he thought that he should just add that in for them, so they didn't have to bother :).
Oh, and oddly enough, EVERYONE thought he was a girl. Must be because he's so pretty. EVERYONE said "she" to him.....as in, "what kind of candy does she want?". We also heard, "what does your sister like." Hilarious! After awhile, Owen and Emmett got tired of telling each house that Henry was a boy, and they ignored it.
Braggin 'bout my boys
I was excited about parent teacher conferences this year, mainly because this was Emmett's first year and while I knew he was doing well, I didn't really know what he was doing in class. I couldn't wait to hear more about him. Turns out he's doing awesome. His teacher said that he's like a little sponge and "soaks" up everything she tells him. She said that he's a good listener and that he always behaves as he's expected. He's in the top reading group and is in the top 2 or 3 of her students. And...(this part is my favorite!)...he participates!!! He answers questions when asked. He asks for help when needed. He looks her in the eyes when he speaks and he has oodles of self confidence. What a change he's had in the past year when his preschool teachers recommended we hold him back to give him another year to build his confidence. He's a new child. I know that it's sometimes hard for him...but he's trying so hard. I'm so, so proud of him. And, he's SO excited about learning. He was going to stay home one day last week (I can't remember why), and then ended up going, because he "didn't want to miss any learning." He's WAY into writing and copies the titles of different books onto blank pieces of paper and does work books ALL the time. I'm hoping he LOVES to read, too....since Owen hates it. I want one of my kids to love book stores as much as I do. :).
Owen is doing great, too. He reads on a 5th grade level and his math skills are way above grade level. I've mentioned how wonderful his teacher is, right? She talked a lot about how she differentiates between students when teaching and she told me all the great plans she had for Owen, so that he would never be bored. I heart her. Third grade is a big year, because this is the beginning of standardized testing. They are already practicing for the ELA in April. They took a practice test in September for it, and he got a perfect score (keep in mind - this is BEFORE they started practicing for it. The test isn't til April). He was the only student to do so. But, (and this is my favorite part) she also said what a wonderfully kind student he was and that he was a friend to absolutely everyone. She said that she often paired him w/ another student that might need some reading help, so he could do some peer teaching w/ them and she said that no matter who she pairs him with...he never rolls his eyes, he's nice to that person, and always happy about helping them. And while he is often argumentative and demanding at home, he is NEVER like that at school. Now if I could just channel some of that school behavior to our house.....
In the years that I've been going to parent teacher conferences (and this is the 4th year, not counting preschool), I've never taken Eddie along. Usually he comes home from work to stay w/ the kids, while I go. Next year, I'm bringing him along. It's so fun to hear someone talk so nicely about your kids. He should hear some of that, too. Especially since there are some days that they drive us bonkers. It's nice to be reminded about all of their strengths.
Owen is doing great, too. He reads on a 5th grade level and his math skills are way above grade level. I've mentioned how wonderful his teacher is, right? She talked a lot about how she differentiates between students when teaching and she told me all the great plans she had for Owen, so that he would never be bored. I heart her. Third grade is a big year, because this is the beginning of standardized testing. They are already practicing for the ELA in April. They took a practice test in September for it, and he got a perfect score (keep in mind - this is BEFORE they started practicing for it. The test isn't til April). He was the only student to do so. But, (and this is my favorite part) she also said what a wonderfully kind student he was and that he was a friend to absolutely everyone. She said that she often paired him w/ another student that might need some reading help, so he could do some peer teaching w/ them and she said that no matter who she pairs him with...he never rolls his eyes, he's nice to that person, and always happy about helping them. And while he is often argumentative and demanding at home, he is NEVER like that at school. Now if I could just channel some of that school behavior to our house.....
In the years that I've been going to parent teacher conferences (and this is the 4th year, not counting preschool), I've never taken Eddie along. Usually he comes home from work to stay w/ the kids, while I go. Next year, I'm bringing him along. It's so fun to hear someone talk so nicely about your kids. He should hear some of that, too. Especially since there are some days that they drive us bonkers. It's nice to be reminded about all of their strengths.
One bonus of kids getting older..
Henry will now look at the TV for a few seconds, but the day that he was the sickest he watched a whole DORA episode! How nice is that? I LOVE rocking my guys when they are sick. but unfortunately there are times when us moms must dislodge our rumps from the chair. Henry is the youngest of three and this AM, I had to get my big boys ready for school.
So....add Dora, pacifier, and Henry's lovie - his dog, Moppett (that good family friends brought to Henry when he was in the hospital in April. Thanks, Chad and AJ!), and you have one semi - happy, temporarily still baby.
I doubt Henry will notice the TV again until the next time he's sick...although, it would be nice if he would watch it every once and a while, so I could cook dinner or clean or help the boys w/ their piano or homework....
My little snowball
Henry still had a fever of 103 last night, but since he wasn't technically contagious (per the doctor - since she thinks his fever is a reaction from the H1N1 vaccine), and this AM he only had a low grade temp. I dressed him up in his Halloween costume to go watch Owen and Emmett's Halloween parade at school. I didn't get great pictures of him (or Owen and Emmett).....that will be my mission for tomorrow before trick or treating. But, here's a quick peek at his "snowball" costume.
I'm not sure the photos do justice to how stinkin' cute he was is in his costume.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Even though it's blurry...
you get the idea, right? I snapped this photo a few days ago without the boys knowing. As soon as the camera flashed, they jumped up. But, this is how they were cuddled up watching TV. How cute is that?
You know what this means?
Now, we have to carve the darn things. I HATE carving pumpkins...and now that we finally have them, the kids are dying to do it. I won't be able to avoid it much longer...look for pics in the next day or so :).
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