We were driving on the way to my company picnic today and I turned around to look at Adam in his car seat. "Adam, you still have jelly on your face from breakfast." "I don't think anyone will notice."
Shannon was gathering sand toys for the picnic and asked Sara if she could unwind Ivy from having her leash wrapped around the tree. She started and Shannon heard her say, "Watch out Ivy you are going to step in your...poop. Dis-gusting!"
Saturday, September 7, 2013
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Preschoolers in the house!
First day of preschool...what an emotional roller coaster day! Not for reasons that you think. For almost 4 weeks I have been trying to transition the kids to a different schedule in preparation for afternoon school. Nap a few days, not for a few days. Then throw in vacation and it was a perfect storm for the kids being exhausted and not wanting to listen. Especially Adam. He and I butted heads all morning. He spent more time crying than not. At one point I got fed up so Sara and I went outside to water flowers. I heard him banging on the window, screaming and crying. I wasn't sure he was even going to make it for his first day of school.
Somehow they composed themselves and we pulled it off!
We loaded up our backpacks, supplies, and extra set of clothes in case of an accident and arrived early! I think the kids were a little nervous because they didn't talk much. Once the doors were unlocked and we got to their room, Adam went right to his hook to hang his backpack. Then he found a puzzle and sat right down to get to work putting together Cookie Monster. Sara was a little more reserved but did just fine.
We were heading down the hall to leave and the teacher was behind us. She let out a big laugh and said "Your kids' vocabulary is unbelievable! I don't know if you realize that since you are around them every day." It's so funny to me that they do talk like adults.
Miss Sara...what can I say about my baby girl? There are extremes to her personality. Sweet and polite and quiet and reserved and plays quietly by herself.
And then there is this other side that usually shocks people. She is sassy and smart-mouthed, loves to suck you in with her belly laugh, and is a little daredevil. She enjoyed story time today and talked about the fish. For 3 hours she told me that his name was "Frishy Fish" or something like that. Adam backed her up. Then at dinner I said "Sara explain the fish's name to dad" and she replied "His name is Louie." Where did that come from? And apparently she was crowned the leader in class because when we walked to the neighbors for early birthday cake, she insisted we all line up and follow behind her. She kept saying "stay behind me..."
And then there's my boy. Mr. Adam. I think he aged years before me in this photo. He has a tendency of doing that.
He is a defender and helper of his sister, which I am proud of. Man do the two of them bicker but then they are so sweet with each other, too. Adam has a phenomenal mind for thinking things thru, figuring things out, and solving problems. Extremely intelligent. And he is so tender hearted. But he does not like being disciplined if his mind is set on something.
Adam said he liked snacks and the teacher was nice. He surprised me by saying that everyone in the class was nice. Usually he is telling us about someone who is mean. He got to be the caboose on the train.
I expected them both to be tired when I picked them up. We got home and made another snack, played outside for a bit, and had an early dinner. They were in bed around 7 without complete meltdowns!
This is the entry to their preschool, complete with a large TV screen with 9 different feeds of classrooms and hallways for security.
I am excited for what the future holds for my 2 little ones!
Somehow they composed themselves and we pulled it off!
We loaded up our backpacks, supplies, and extra set of clothes in case of an accident and arrived early! I think the kids were a little nervous because they didn't talk much. Once the doors were unlocked and we got to their room, Adam went right to his hook to hang his backpack. Then he found a puzzle and sat right down to get to work putting together Cookie Monster. Sara was a little more reserved but did just fine.
We were heading down the hall to leave and the teacher was behind us. She let out a big laugh and said "Your kids' vocabulary is unbelievable! I don't know if you realize that since you are around them every day." It's so funny to me that they do talk like adults.
Miss Sara...what can I say about my baby girl? There are extremes to her personality. Sweet and polite and quiet and reserved and plays quietly by herself.
And then there is this other side that usually shocks people. She is sassy and smart-mouthed, loves to suck you in with her belly laugh, and is a little daredevil. She enjoyed story time today and talked about the fish. For 3 hours she told me that his name was "Frishy Fish" or something like that. Adam backed her up. Then at dinner I said "Sara explain the fish's name to dad" and she replied "His name is Louie." Where did that come from? And apparently she was crowned the leader in class because when we walked to the neighbors for early birthday cake, she insisted we all line up and follow behind her. She kept saying "stay behind me..."
And then there's my boy. Mr. Adam. I think he aged years before me in this photo. He has a tendency of doing that.
He is a defender and helper of his sister, which I am proud of. Man do the two of them bicker but then they are so sweet with each other, too. Adam has a phenomenal mind for thinking things thru, figuring things out, and solving problems. Extremely intelligent. And he is so tender hearted. But he does not like being disciplined if his mind is set on something.
Adam said he liked snacks and the teacher was nice. He surprised me by saying that everyone in the class was nice. Usually he is telling us about someone who is mean. He got to be the caboose on the train.
I expected them both to be tired when I picked them up. We got home and made another snack, played outside for a bit, and had an early dinner. They were in bed around 7 without complete meltdowns!
This is the entry to their preschool, complete with a large TV screen with 9 different feeds of classrooms and hallways for security.
I am excited for what the future holds for my 2 little ones!
Sunday, July 21, 2013
Tennis Lessons
I really wanted the kids to participate in the standard t-ball that seems to be a right of passage for all kids. Who doesn't play t-ball? I anxiously awaited the spring park district books to be printed and leafed thru the entire thing to find...no t-ball? Apparently you have to register for t-ball in the winter so I had completely missed the deadline! I began to search for other options that would give the kids a chance to physically learn something new, participate in a team event, meet new kids, and practice listening.
I signed them up for tennis. The biggest challenge was that it started at 8:30. I found out later the other kids had just rolled out of bed and arrived without eating breakfast.
They had a scaled-down net, played with larger balls, and used small rackets. They really seemed to enjoy themselves until about the last lesson. The timing of when to swing was a struggle for them and you could tell the difference between the kids who were 4 vs. 5.
Adam was cracking me up because every time they took a water break, he would tuck the handle of the racket in the net so it would hang there.
They would hit balls for a bit, then all run to gather them. Adam got pretty upset the first day when one of the boys wasn't letting him pick up any.
They spent time practicing swings and also learned about the names of the different lines on the court.
I'm not sure what happened but the last day was really a challenge for Adam. He didn't want to listen to the coach at all. I tried to talk to him at a water break but that didn't help because when he went back, he hit Sara and another girl over the head with the racket. I saw the coach bend down eye to eye, nose to nose with him and have a little chat. After that, Adam wasn't much interested in picking up any balls and the ones he did, he piled on his racket instead of put them in her bag like he knew he was supposed to. At the next water break I told him he needed to apologize to her. I saw him tentatively walk up to her, pat her on the butt and walk off. I'm hoping there was a "sorry" with the butt slap.
I signed them up for tennis. The biggest challenge was that it started at 8:30. I found out later the other kids had just rolled out of bed and arrived without eating breakfast.
They had a scaled-down net, played with larger balls, and used small rackets. They really seemed to enjoy themselves until about the last lesson. The timing of when to swing was a struggle for them and you could tell the difference between the kids who were 4 vs. 5.
Adam was cracking me up because every time they took a water break, he would tuck the handle of the racket in the net so it would hang there.
They would hit balls for a bit, then all run to gather them. Adam got pretty upset the first day when one of the boys wasn't letting him pick up any.
They spent time practicing swings and also learned about the names of the different lines on the court.
I'm not sure what happened but the last day was really a challenge for Adam. He didn't want to listen to the coach at all. I tried to talk to him at a water break but that didn't help because when he went back, he hit Sara and another girl over the head with the racket. I saw the coach bend down eye to eye, nose to nose with him and have a little chat. After that, Adam wasn't much interested in picking up any balls and the ones he did, he piled on his racket instead of put them in her bag like he knew he was supposed to. At the next water break I told him he needed to apologize to her. I saw him tentatively walk up to her, pat her on the butt and walk off. I'm hoping there was a "sorry" with the butt slap.
Friday, July 19, 2013
Vacation Bible School
As the kids get older, that means they get to participate in fun things like Vacation Bible School. Our church doesn't have a program so we took the kids just down the road to our neighbor's church.
They had a fantastic time every night learning to stand strong for God.
One night they dressed all in neon colors. One night was mismatch night. Sara didn't quite get that word because she kept calling Adam Mr. Match.
Last night they made crowns. Adam had quite the sword that he came home with and Sara made a princess scepter. Tonight was crazy hair night! When we walked in to pick them up, Sara was bouncing her head forward and back to make her hair flop like a little rocker.
Every night the kids came home with stories of the fun they had while we dimmed the lights and got them crawled into bed around 9:15.
By mid-week they were just exhausted! Sara had a day that she didn't nap. And when she doesn't nap, she gets squirrely and crabby while she argues that she isn't really tired. At dinner that night we were talking about the birds outside and Sara said we needed to get more boodfird. She paused and thought real hard, then just started giggling. Her giggle is so contagious!
We've had lots of late nights, missed naps, 3 pee accidents (which we haven't had in a long time), and now Adam seems like he is getting a cold and Sara has been complaining all afternoon that her throat hurts when she swallows. What a week! But they certainly had fun and are looking forward to next year!
They had a fantastic time every night learning to stand strong for God.
One night they dressed all in neon colors. One night was mismatch night. Sara didn't quite get that word because she kept calling Adam Mr. Match.
Last night they made crowns. Adam had quite the sword that he came home with and Sara made a princess scepter. Tonight was crazy hair night! When we walked in to pick them up, Sara was bouncing her head forward and back to make her hair flop like a little rocker.
Every night the kids came home with stories of the fun they had while we dimmed the lights and got them crawled into bed around 9:15.
By mid-week they were just exhausted! Sara had a day that she didn't nap. And when she doesn't nap, she gets squirrely and crabby while she argues that she isn't really tired. At dinner that night we were talking about the birds outside and Sara said we needed to get more boodfird. She paused and thought real hard, then just started giggling. Her giggle is so contagious!
Sunday, July 14, 2013
Sprinkler Fun
It was still really hot after dinner so I told the kids if they ate a good dinner I would dig out the sprinkler for some fun. Adam had his dinner gobbled down and was changed into his suit in record time!
While Sara was inside, still sitting at the dinner table, because she refused to eat any of her dinner, Adam giggled as he tried to outrun the sprinkler. If you looked up the word joy in a picture dictionary, there would be a photo of Adam.
At one point Sara came out and peeked thru the deck railing, tears streaming down her face. I tried to take a picture of her sourpuss face but she ran inside.
A few minutes later she came out on the deck and told me Dad said it was okay.
I questioned her about it but she insisted.
Then Shannon walked outside and asked what was going on as he looked at Sara enjoying herself in the sprinkler. I told him that she declared he said it was okay. He denied that statement. The day went down in history as Sara's first big parental play.
What made me laugh was that as I was looking at pictures, something seemed very familiar.
Two years ago...
While Sara was inside, still sitting at the dinner table, because she refused to eat any of her dinner, Adam giggled as he tried to outrun the sprinkler. If you looked up the word joy in a picture dictionary, there would be a photo of Adam.
At one point Sara came out and peeked thru the deck railing, tears streaming down her face. I tried to take a picture of her sourpuss face but she ran inside.
A few minutes later she came out on the deck and told me Dad said it was okay.
I questioned her about it but she insisted.
Then Shannon walked outside and asked what was going on as he looked at Sara enjoying herself in the sprinkler. I told him that she declared he said it was okay. He denied that statement. The day went down in history as Sara's first big parental play.
What made me laugh was that as I was looking at pictures, something seemed very familiar.
Two years ago...
Weekend at Gram-Grampa's
A few weekends ago we made a trip to Iowa to visit Shannon's parents. Somehow lately both of their names have run together to form one big name...Gram-Grampa. It's rare that the kids mention one of them by themselves. They just go together so that must be why they now have one name!
It had been quite a while since we had been to Iowa. With all the medical stuff in the past year, it worked out more often that they came here. The kids were super excited to do all the "regular" stuff--ride the 4 wheeler, ride the Bobcat, ride the tractor--plus Grampa had plans to make a bird house with the kids. He already had the pieces cut out and labelled so it made assembly easier. Adam got to use the air nailer. (insert comment from Shannon about how *he* never got to use an air nailer at that age!)
Sara even got in on the nailing action. I love the look on her face--she was really grunting.
While the two of them were arguing over who was going to sit on this little stool they found in the shed, I was able to get them to sit still for a quick snapshot.
Adam was so proud of his achievement!
Adam just loves to be outside. He was constantly in the shed trying to figure things out, digging thru bungees, and pestering Grampa for the next piece of equipment they could ride together! Of course Grampa doesn't mind. He just gets a nap when the kids do!
Sara doesn't want to miss out on the fun and gets in her share of rides, as well.
We also had a visit to Uncle Frank and Aunt Marlene's farm to see some baby calves. It was pretty rainy. Sara didn't like how loud the cows were mooing so she kept covering her ears.
Adam thought it might be neat to climb on a Combine...until Uncle Frank told him the story about how one caught on fire in the field and then Adam wouldn't go any closer to it!
It had been quite a while since we had been to Iowa. With all the medical stuff in the past year, it worked out more often that they came here. The kids were super excited to do all the "regular" stuff--ride the 4 wheeler, ride the Bobcat, ride the tractor--plus Grampa had plans to make a bird house with the kids. He already had the pieces cut out and labelled so it made assembly easier. Adam got to use the air nailer. (insert comment from Shannon about how *he* never got to use an air nailer at that age!)
While the two of them were arguing over who was going to sit on this little stool they found in the shed, I was able to get them to sit still for a quick snapshot.
Adam was so proud of his achievement!
Adam just loves to be outside. He was constantly in the shed trying to figure things out, digging thru bungees, and pestering Grampa for the next piece of equipment they could ride together! Of course Grampa doesn't mind. He just gets a nap when the kids do!
Adam thought it might be neat to climb on a Combine...until Uncle Frank told him the story about how one caught on fire in the field and then Adam wouldn't go any closer to it!
Sunday, June 23, 2013
No medical change
Sara had a trip to OSF Friday for an ultrasound, x-ray, and VCUG. I am so thankful that appointments like this are easy. After all she has been thru, most kids would be nervous or scared or downright unwilling to go. But the day before, Sara told my mom "Grandma, they are going to give me medicine that makes me loopy tomorrow!" and then she giggled and ran off to play.
What a difference these past months have made with how I handle the ultrasounds. I remember the first time I saw white things on the screen that the tech would stop and take extra pictures of and measure. I knew in my gut something wasn't right when they would do that. I could feel my heart beat faster just watching the screen. But Friday it didn't bother me at all to see the pauses for extra photos of the stones that still remain. It's just part of our reality now, our unexplained reality that just is.
Pediatric sedation has a new area on the ground floor by the surgery area. Walking thru there is like seeing old friends as we exchange a smile and a wave. 7 surgical procedures in 3 months will create relationships like that. The staff is always so nice. They got Sara set up on an iPad with some games. The doctor game was fun, putting sick animals in a hospital bed and doing procedures to make them feel better--eye drops for a kitty, shining a flashlight in a sick monkey's ear, removing things a puppy had swallowed with a magnet. The nail salon game was a little disturbing seeing a giant toe on the screen as Sara picked different designs to decorate it with.
It took a while for her loopy medicine in preparation for her VCUG to kick in so they gave her just a little more. Things went very smooth. She had just a little discomfort as the catheter went in but apparently it was minimal compared to what they normally experience. They injected fluid to fill her bladder while she laid on an x-ray table. Photos were taken to document whether her urine flows backwards from her bladder to her kidney, indicating reflux. This is the same test that was done last August and the urologist wanted a follow up to see if her body had corrected itself any over the past 10 months.
Sara really wanted pancakes for lunch but we ran out of time and had to eat at the hospital sandwich shop. Sometimes it can be so funny what Versed does to her. We walked into the shop and she screamed in excitement "Daddy!!! A banana!" as she saw it in the display window. Shannon bought a banana, a muffin, a BLT for himself, and a couple hot dogs. He set the tray on the table and she expressed her anger "I don't want a banana!" We just smiled at each other as she also complained that she wanted a donut. I asked if she wanted some muffin and she about bit my finger off taking a bite. A few minutes later I calmly asked if she would like some banana. Apparently enough time had passed and she was interested now. The mood swings between coming off of being loopy, being hungry, and ready for a nap creates quite the perfect storm for an emotional break down.
We headed to the urologist to discuss the results of our morning of tests. In a nutshell, no change.
The kidney stones are the same. 2 large ones remain on the left and there are still some on the right, as well.
The ultrasound showed both her kidneys are still dilated. He isn't as concerned about the dilation as he is about her kidneys becoming thinner.
And her reflux has not improved at all. At this point it is unlikely that her body will correct itself. Up until now, every time the urologist talked about her reflux, he talked confidently that he thought it would improve. This was the first time he said he thought it wouldn't be possible.
He still wants to give her more time, as long as her kidneys continue to keep up and remain stable. Time for her scar tissue to heal from robotic surgery in Boston. And time for her to grow. The access point is just so small for Sara that he needs it to be larger to do another surgery. Maybe in a year he will do robotic surgery just on the left and remove the stones that remain first and then correct the reflux that exists on the same side. We did not discuss any plan to remove the rest of the stones on the right. Another ultrasound in 6 months.
We are focusing on the positive of the news. We are thankful that no more stones have formed. We are thankful that her kidneys remain stable. We are thankful for Sara's strength in handling these medical issues.
Honestly, I wasn't surprised and had expected the news. I'm not happy about it. And it would have been nice if she didn't have to take antibiotics every day anymore. I'm not happy that she will have to do another surgery but that also probably won't be the last one. It's just our reality that we have to accept. Our reality that God is still in the middle of.
What a difference these past months have made with how I handle the ultrasounds. I remember the first time I saw white things on the screen that the tech would stop and take extra pictures of and measure. I knew in my gut something wasn't right when they would do that. I could feel my heart beat faster just watching the screen. But Friday it didn't bother me at all to see the pauses for extra photos of the stones that still remain. It's just part of our reality now, our unexplained reality that just is.
Pediatric sedation has a new area on the ground floor by the surgery area. Walking thru there is like seeing old friends as we exchange a smile and a wave. 7 surgical procedures in 3 months will create relationships like that. The staff is always so nice. They got Sara set up on an iPad with some games. The doctor game was fun, putting sick animals in a hospital bed and doing procedures to make them feel better--eye drops for a kitty, shining a flashlight in a sick monkey's ear, removing things a puppy had swallowed with a magnet. The nail salon game was a little disturbing seeing a giant toe on the screen as Sara picked different designs to decorate it with.
It took a while for her loopy medicine in preparation for her VCUG to kick in so they gave her just a little more. Things went very smooth. She had just a little discomfort as the catheter went in but apparently it was minimal compared to what they normally experience. They injected fluid to fill her bladder while she laid on an x-ray table. Photos were taken to document whether her urine flows backwards from her bladder to her kidney, indicating reflux. This is the same test that was done last August and the urologist wanted a follow up to see if her body had corrected itself any over the past 10 months.
Sara really wanted pancakes for lunch but we ran out of time and had to eat at the hospital sandwich shop. Sometimes it can be so funny what Versed does to her. We walked into the shop and she screamed in excitement "Daddy!!! A banana!" as she saw it in the display window. Shannon bought a banana, a muffin, a BLT for himself, and a couple hot dogs. He set the tray on the table and she expressed her anger "I don't want a banana!" We just smiled at each other as she also complained that she wanted a donut. I asked if she wanted some muffin and she about bit my finger off taking a bite. A few minutes later I calmly asked if she would like some banana. Apparently enough time had passed and she was interested now. The mood swings between coming off of being loopy, being hungry, and ready for a nap creates quite the perfect storm for an emotional break down.
We headed to the urologist to discuss the results of our morning of tests. In a nutshell, no change.
The kidney stones are the same. 2 large ones remain on the left and there are still some on the right, as well.
The ultrasound showed both her kidneys are still dilated. He isn't as concerned about the dilation as he is about her kidneys becoming thinner.
And her reflux has not improved at all. At this point it is unlikely that her body will correct itself. Up until now, every time the urologist talked about her reflux, he talked confidently that he thought it would improve. This was the first time he said he thought it wouldn't be possible.
He still wants to give her more time, as long as her kidneys continue to keep up and remain stable. Time for her scar tissue to heal from robotic surgery in Boston. And time for her to grow. The access point is just so small for Sara that he needs it to be larger to do another surgery. Maybe in a year he will do robotic surgery just on the left and remove the stones that remain first and then correct the reflux that exists on the same side. We did not discuss any plan to remove the rest of the stones on the right. Another ultrasound in 6 months.
We are focusing on the positive of the news. We are thankful that no more stones have formed. We are thankful that her kidneys remain stable. We are thankful for Sara's strength in handling these medical issues.
Honestly, I wasn't surprised and had expected the news. I'm not happy about it. And it would have been nice if she didn't have to take antibiotics every day anymore. I'm not happy that she will have to do another surgery but that also probably won't be the last one. It's just our reality that we have to accept. Our reality that God is still in the middle of.
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