Friday, October 1, 2010

Try to Remember September

 

 

Fpotty

Faith is

  • relapsing into difficult-ness.  I think this has to do with a) the change in schedules b)just growing up and changing phases.  The potty picture above is a way a distract her from a tantrum:  “Hey Faith!  Want to try to go on the potty.”  She is NOT potty training.
  • saying “Paith duy-it” about everything—putting on clothes, buckling her car seat, getting out of the grocery cart…you name it, Faith thinks she can do.  This makes life with Faith even sloooower. 
  • yelling, daily, from her high chair  “Love you, Jane!  Love you, Emma!” as they leave for school.  She really really misses them when they’re gone.  She also says “Seffy at keenergarnen” and it’s the cutest thing ever.

 

Spark

Seth is

  • loving kindergarten, because basically the kid loves everything.
  • invited to playdates ALL THE TIME.  I would never see him, if I didn’t turn some down once in a while
  • kind of whiny and weepy lately and I’m thinking the time away from Mom is kind of sub-consciously wearing on him and so we’ve brought back 9 am learning time…just to have some one-on-one time

 

  JultrasoundPicture 042

Jane is

  • dealing with recurring bladder infections.  We’ve been on 5 kinds of antibiotics, had 1 ultrasound, 1 X-ray, 6 doctor visits.  We’ve found she has Vesicoureteral Reflux.  It’s very minor so we’re trying to treat with a low-grade, continuous antibiotic, rather than surgery.  Anyway…it’s been a lot of money and time.  And tummy-aches.  And fevers.  Poor thing.
  • a super-star student.
  • trying out soccer for the first time.  She is on a team with lots of friends, and while still very much a rookie, certainly knows how to hussle.
  • always making us laugh, because of how much she makes herself laugh!  She also has the funniest imagination and the stories and songs and explanations she comes up, especially when she’s feeling silly, are a complete joy.

Gabe is

 GthumbGswim

  • wanting to be involved in everything.  I LOVE that about him.  He’s doing Webelos, Swim Team, piano, library assistant and will start Math Team soon.  We had to gently advise him that maybe 7 am Strings at the middle school might be too much.
  • recovering from an apple slicer accident.  (I’ve cut my fingers a bunch of time of it…it’s really sharp!)  He sliced his thumb bad while preparing his lunch and we ended up in the ER, with 5 stitches.
  • meeting his goal of being on time to school.  He had a HARD time with this last year and I’m pretty impressed with him track record so far.

 

Ebraid

Emma is

  • really enjoying middle school.  The transition has been smooth.  She’s at the middle school football game and will leave from that to attend the Orchestra Party and won’t be home till midnight.  It made me feel all funny inside when she called today and said “Hey Mom, can I stay after school and go to the game with my friends and I’ll see you after the party.”  (Kind of too-big kid behavior, huh?)
  • so tenacious.  She was placed in the (for lack of a better word) average class-block this year, which was surprising.  She was really dissappointed.  After calling and finding out that her test scores were high enough, but they were out of room in the class, she didn’t let up.  She made appointments with the counselor and I made phone calls and after a few weeks, someone moved and they let her in. 
  • amazing with her hands.  Yesterday we watched a french braiding demo ONCE on YouTube.  (I don’t know how to do it.)  Emma said, “Hey, can I try to do Jane’s hair while we read scriptures?”  I looked up a few minutes later and she had done it.  First try, one viewing!  I was amazed. 

 

Cirque 

Ryan and Jessica are

  • busy.  Really really really really really really really really really really busy.
  • still going on dates.  We got free last minute tickets (yay for kids old enough to babysit themselves!) to Cirque de Soleil.  It was so fun.
  • going to Red Robin, but not together.  I went with a bunch of friends following the Women’s Broadcast last week.  I walked into the restaurant and saw this sight: photo                                            Ryan decided to take the kids to Red Robin, too.  I was a teensy bit tempted to stay with them until I talked to them and 437 hands touched me and then I happily skipped back to my girls table and waved a few times.
  • taking kids who finished the Summer Workbooks to the movies.  Picture 044                                   Obviously Summer Workbooks weren’t popular with the older crowd.

 

You are

  • done reading this post.

19 comments:

Rochelleht said...

HA HA My girls were whiner summer workbookers too. Maybe I should have bribed them. I didn't think of that.

Camden said...

You act like the family updates are SOOO boring. I don't even know you and I love to see what your family is up to! It's like a reality show! Keep 'em coming and don't apaologize!

the wrath of khandrea said...

lots of good stuff worth reading here! i feel proud of your kids!

Brigitta said...

I think faith and my ethan are twins sepereated by a state (or 2 states can't remember if you are in washington or oregon.) anyhoo, it's all I can do is get through the day with him. He is so hard and I keep thinking is it me or is it him?? I want to break up with him, but good thing he is so stinkin cute, so I think I will stay with him. Maybe I am just getting OLD. I feel your pain. she is adorable.

Lauren in GA said...

John is having the same exact problem as Jane. He is on antibiotics everyday, too. The urologist prefers antibiotics to surgery in our case, too.

Jessica, I loved reading all of this. Every. single. word. I guess what I really want to say is that you are inspiring to me in how you blog. I get behind and get discouraged...and I am really sad that I am not capturing all of these memories. I need to try harder.

Tristan said...

I'm totally impressed with Emma's braiding skills! I didn't even learn to french braid until I was in Beauty School. I was 18. Super impressed!

Kiley said...

Kora has VUR too... very minor. She's been on a low dose antibiotic for almost a year now and we get her rechecked in December. She's not looking forward to it at all. Even though she was sedated for the xray part she remembers so much of it :(

Brooke said...

I just wrote a long comment and now it's gone! Well have a great weekend doing conference listening or trying to anyway.

Nurse Graham said...

Busy family! Wish I had known about Jane's UTI's. I might not have sent her back to class with a slightly elevated temp. and a bit of a tummy-ache. Hope the antibiotice suppression does the trick.

Jessica said...

Just popping in again to say hi! Our youngest two daughters have had kidney/bladder issues too, including VUR. Ava's was level 4 and though we tried the antibiotics she wound up having the surgery a couple of years after her diagnosis. Not fun but we all survived. I like reading your blog -- helps me feel like someone else can relate to the craziness of lots of kids doing lots of activities!

Elizabeth said...

That's not good about the bladder infection and the difficultness... but your children sure are cute (and busy). I love that you guys go on date nights and I too would have sat far away from the fam on a girls night out!

jessica said...

You guys are so busy, I can hardly keep up with THREE!!! Looks like I better schedule my play date with Seth way in advance.

Paige said...

I have nothing fun or interesting to say other than thanks for still blogging because I know it is SO HARD but we love hearing all you have to say!

Shopper Gal said...

I love reading your family updates. You never stop amazing me at what a great Mom, Wife and Friend you are!

Christie said...

I love your updates. Do you still get your blog printed? These types of posts are the meat and potatoes of the blog book. Keep it up.

Adrianne said...

Seems Emma is officially skilled labor - that's means another set of helping hands when we do our decorating projects!

Tammy said...

I loved this post. I love seeing how your kids are doing. I am so impressed with Emma...she is such a good kid. Wow. Tell her she can come visit me in SF any old time and I will show her around, teach her to make crafts and let her explore this fantastic urban park of a city. I love that you guys still do dates.....and I wish you lived closer!

Randi said...

poor jane. :( I had no idea. That is NO fun.

Matthews Family said...

So fun to catch up on what everyone is like these days. Miss you guys tons and hope to catch up again sometime. Love ya.