Christmas, part 1

We had our first Christmas celebration a few weeks ago in Nacogdoches with Jeff's mom. The kids absoultely love to go to her house...they get to see their Nanne Sue, eat hummy food and play in a big backyard with a swing. Abby would spend the entire time on the swing if we allowed:

Jeff's mom, Bonnie, has a new hobby: she is learning to play the dulcimer. She learned a few new songs for our visit and Silas was totally mesmerized:


After our outside play and entertainment, Nanne Sue had presents for all. What can be better than several huge boxes wrapped in beautiful paper with big bows. Emma got the unwrapping started:

We all had a great laugh when we opened the boxes and found "Snuggies" for everyone. These are the blankets with sleeves that people constantly make fun of. She bought three in kids sizes...

And two in adult size:

As silly as the commercials are...we have been so happy to have these this winter. I literally use mine every evening and the kids wear them to bed like giant robes. We love them.

The Trip

Several years ago, Jeff and I decided that we wanted to make our childrens' 6th birthdays very special and memorable. Since that is the year they start Kindergarden and by 6 they are old enough to remember, we have done special trips.

Silas turned 6 on November 20th so we took a Disney Cruise. I can't imagine that I even need to say how fabulous it was. The service was excellent, the food was great and the kids had a great time (minus Abby who stayed in Tyler with her "Nona").

We ate ice cream before lunch

and swam in the middle of November

and played in the Atlantic Ocean

and held up rockets with our brute strength...

First Day of School

Emma

Emma started 2nd grade today. She has Mr. Simms, who taught 5th grade last year at Rice. She came home today talking about how funny he is and how he likes to play games and make jokes. She had a fabulous, but rather serious, teacher last year so this will be a change. I'm thankful for varying opportunities and the chance to interact with lots of personalities. She knows a few of her classmates but is also going to have lots of new friends in the coming weeks. She has been asked to read at least 20 minutes each night as well as study her spelling, vocabulary and math. She will have a test each Friday. Emma desires perfection in herself and strives to be the best. She has a kind heart and loves to help others. She will bless many people...

Silas

Silas started Kindergarten today at Rice. He is in Ms. Jordan's class (the same K teacher Emma had). She is a wonderful woman who has spent 30+ years helping 5 year olds learn how to start and succeed at school. She is kind and loving; with a very structured classroom. I know from past experience that she is going to bless Silas this year. He will also have a little time outside the classroom at speech therapy. We expect he will start twice a week then reduce to once per week. He has made amazing progress in his speech and should be completely dismissed from the special education program by Christmas. Silas is eager to learn and has a complex, intelligent mind. I can't wait to see what he becomes...

Abby

Abby is going to school at Little People's School again this year. She is in the purple room which is specifically for boys and girls who are almost three or just three. Most of her class is learning to use the potty; her teachers are very patient women. She will learn her numbers, colors and be introduced to the letters in the alphabet. She is also going to have a special (and new) class this year called "world wise" that will be 30 minutes every day. A wonderful Christian woman who spent lots of years in Africa as a missionary is teaching the kids about different cultures around the world using music, dance, food and art. How many 3 year olds get that type of exposure? Abby is a calm and gentle soul. She is almost always happy and is delighted to go along with whatever is happening. Even though she is still hard to understand, she can sing songs without missing even one note. She has music in her heart...

Grapevine Botanical Gardens

I had no idea that there were gardens in Grapevine, Texas. What a find! Thanks to my sister-in-law, we used this fab spot to take some photos. I did a "shoot" with my kids, with her kids and then some will all the cousins. It was hot...and the kids got tired...but we got a few usable pictures.

Silas swims

Silas swims the backstroke

Silas has been on the Apple Gators swim team this summer. Their season is almost over and he is really going to miss it. He has been going to "swim team" every weekday morning from 8:00 to 9:30 a.m. He has also competed in two swim meets. He never wins...but he loves the water and has been a great member of the team.

Thad's Birthday Party

We had such a good time at Thad's birthday party.

He was surrounded by Godly families who were willing to take time out of their week to celebrate his birthday - most of whom had never met him. Forty moms, dads, cousins, grandmothers, sister and brothers swam, ate pizza, swam, ate cake and ice cream, swam, watched Thad open presents and then swam some more.

By 8:00 p.m., we were all exhausted...but so encouraged by the love that was shown to our family. I'm thankful for our life in the Spirit and others who choose to live their lives in the Spirit as well. God has blessed us greatly and now Thad has been blessed. Please pray for our family and his future.

Another one "bites" the dust

Silas at 9:30 p.m.

Silas pulled another loose tooth this evening after our swim. We noticed that both front bottom teeth were loose this morning but one was much more loose than the other so we assumed there would be several days (or weeks) between the teeth coming out. No way, not for Silas.

He's been messing with that thing all day and finally told me, "e-mail the tooth fairy and tell her I've got another one". How can you argue with that?

Silas lost his first tooth

Silas this morning at breakfast...

Silas just after lunch...

The first lost tooth is just as exciting for the second child as it is for the first. Without any warning, Silas woke up with a loose tooth and it was out by 2:00 p.m. He worked on it all morning with his fingers and tongue and then asked me to pull it out. I worked it loose and then he pulled it out himself.

Homesick

Have you ever been homesick? Well, I have and it stinks. Especially as a child, homesickness is more than just a feeling - it takes on physical forms like stomach ache and tears.

Emma is in Nachogdoches for the week (going to day camp with her cousin, Thad) and she had a bout of homesickness yesterday. When we spoke on the phone, she was in tears - ready to come come. In fact, she had already packed her bag! As it was early afternoon, I told her that Abby was asleep and I could not go anywhere until she woke up. I assured her that I would make a plan with Jeff's mom and call back when Abby was awake.

Thankfully, Bonnie was a 2nd grade teacher for many years and understands the emotions and outbursts of 8 year olds. As it turns out, a bit of distraction and fun solved the problem and Emma stayed without having to call again.

Thank you, God for loving grandmothers!

Meanwhile, back here in Tyler, I had two smaller children who were anxious to get in a running sprinkler (after nearly 2 hours in the pool)...

Three extra wishes

Today was Silas' first swim meet. He and Jeff left at 6:00 a.m. to be in Lufkin by 7:45. He swam in three races and came in dead last every time. Thankfully for us, Silas loves to swim and could care less whether he was first or last.

As soon as he was done with his third race, we all converged on Nanne Sue's house in Nacogdoches. Earlier in the week, Silas had requested a cake to celebrate his first swim meet. Nanne Sue and Thad accepted the challenge and created a cake that looked like a swimming pool. Even though it was not anyone's birthday, Thad decided they needed to add three candles to give Silas "three extra wishes". What a sweet and thoughtful cousin.

After lunch and "pool cake", we got out in the back yard and the kids played with water balloons:

After about half an hour outside in the 100 degree weather,

we went in the house to play some games. Jeff got in on the action:

One game the kids love is "button, button" where Nanne Sue plays the piano. The object of the game is not to hide the button from her, but the kids think it is so funny to do so...

What can be better than a day at grandma's house with a super fun cousin?

Silas the Psalmist

This last semester, Silas' Wednesday night bible class learned the 23rd Psalm. Thanks to two women of God, the little boys in that class have learned the entire chapter.

Several weeks ago, when Silas was just about done with school, he stuck his head into the office of our pulpit minister to tell him about learning these memory verses. Silas held out his piece of paper and recited the entire chapter (of course, he cannot read so the paper was just a prop). In a moment of insanity, Jeff (Christian) asked if Silas would like to say it in front of the church.

Silas said, "sure"
Jeff said, "it will be in front of like a million people"
Silas, "OK"

Nanne Sue (Jeff's mom) came from Nacogdoches and Nona (my mom) was sure to get a front row seat. I slipped down to the front row to get video and up Silas went onto the stage.

and now, the rest of the story.....

Breast Cancer

Stephanie Harris has been diagnosed with breast cancer. Please pray for her. Also, please pray for her husband, David and her children, Trevin, Aspen and Blake.

In the next few weeks, we will mobilize a team to help the family in any way we can. Think of ways you can help then let's get together...

God is the great healer.

Please pray for my friend

A friend of mine from church is going for a breast biopsy at 1:00 p.m. today. Please pray for her. She has young children - 10, 7 and 4 - and is a faithful christian woman who loves God and her family very much.

By some strange coincidence, we actually lived in the same small town in New Mexico. My family spent 17 years in Farmington, NM. Her family lived there during a portion of that time. We attended the same small church (200 members). Now we both live in Tyler, TX - go figure.

She and I help each other every weekday - I pick up her kids in the morning and she brings Emma home to me in the afternoon (so Abby can get a good nap). She is a blessing in my life and I am earnestly praying that whatever was seen on the mamogram is a non-issue.

Go get your mamogram!

My sweet Easter bunny

Last January (2008), Abby got ear tubes. In October, we found out that they had both come out of her ear drums (this happens naturally as a child grows). For some children, the one year with tubes is enough for them to "grow out of ear infections". Not for Abigail.

Within 2 weeks of the tubes coming out, she had a ear infection. Each month after that, she developed another ear infection. We worked with the pediatrician and she took 10 days of antibiotics every 30 days (each month we tried some new 'wonder' drug). In March, she was put on 30 days of some incredibly expensive medicine. By day 20, she had another ear infection. We found ourselves back in the surgeon's office.

He has scheduled surgery for May 11th - the day after Mother's Day. She will have her tonsils and adenoids out and a new set of tubes put in. We'll be at ETMC for 'at least' one night. I hope we go home on Tuesday morning.

Pray for Abigail. She is not quite old enough to understand what is going on so she may be quite upset about all the pain. She is, however, young and resilient so the healing should be fast.

OnStar, take me away!

This was one of those days (we've all had them). Up on time and feeling good about the speed of the morning's necessary activities, I headed into the bathroom with just enough time to brush my teeth and slip on my shoes. Much to my disappointment, I was not wearing any make-up. Five minutes later I was headed to the door yelling, "HURRY UP DOES NOT MEAN JUST STAND THERE...COME ON". Into the van, buckle Abby, buckle myself, key in ignition...click...click...click. "OH, *@#%&*" (to myself of course). The van would not start. Call Stephanie (whose kids I pick up in the morning) - she comes in the blink of an eye and has Emma on her way to school. One call to OnStar and the towing company is on the way. Note to self: must leave van running for 45 minutes after "jump start".

Finally, I get the kids to school, deliver food for "teacher appreciation week" and am at work only 15 minutes late. Get coffee, do important legal work (HAHA!), everything is fine. At 1:00 I am thinking "van, please start". As I walk to the van I realize I do not have my keys. Of course, they are laying in the console - I can clearly see them through the window. One more call to OnStar, reveal super-secret code to "agent" on other end of call, van doors are open. YEAH!

So much stress has built up that I decide to make cookies "for the kids' snack" (yeah - if you've ever met me you know that I eat to relieve stress). The mixer is on and Silas is in the living room playing Wii saying something about the "studs" or "power packs". Who knows? I can't hear him. So I respond with what I believe to be an appropriate phrase.

Thank you, Silas, for bringing me back to the real world

and back to what is really important.

He says, "no, mommy...that was not a time to say 'whoa, baby', that was a time to say, 'oh, man'". Without any hint of having his feelings hurt he goes back to playing Wii and leaves me thinking that I should worry less about things outside of my control and worry more about hearing the "important" things around me.

The revolving...no, sliding door

We are in and out of the doctor's office all the time. I took Abby to the ear, nose and throat surgeon this morning. When we were in 6 weeks ago, he said she was likely on the way to the operating room (for ear tubes, tonsils, adenoids) but that he wanted to give her 6 weeks on a steroid to see if that cleared the fluid. Thanks be to God...it worked. She will not have surgery right now. Next winter will be another story.

But before any of this good news, we made a very dramatic entrance into the office. Abby has a thing about doors - she likes them closed. She is insistent that doors be closed. So, when she saw the automatic sliding door open, she put her hand on it to close it. Of course, her fat little hand got stuck (the door remaining in the open position because she was standing there). With my super-human mommy strength, I pulled the door closed enough to free her hand. Nurses came running and ice packs were applied. Thank you, God for soft and flexible 2 year old bones. Her wrist is bruised by fine. I'll see if I can post a picture this afternoon.

My shining stars

Indulge me while I brag about my kids...they are doing some amazing things:

Silas made the front page of the Tyler newspaper

Silas' class from Little People's went to the library two weeks ago to hear a special reading of "The Napping House". Some story-tellers had come in from Austin and his class ended up on the front row at the reading. When the ladies had a sing-along that included some make-believe motorcylce riding, Silas was ready to go. Lucky for us, a photographer from the paper was there. The newpaper online has a much clearer photo.

Meanwhile, Emma has had an adventure of her own. After the first of the year, she was screened for the Gifted and Talented program at her school. We got a letter saying that she was eligible to move forward to the second level of screening. She went last week for a day of testing. We are so proud of her math, reading and overall abilities in school. Her teacher says she is easy to teach and eager to learn. Let's pray that lasts her whole life.

Abby - well, she's my sweet angel. She loves to go to "school" 4 days each week and can say the names of all of her friends. I found out today that she even has a boyfriend at school - Logan. Don't worry, he comes from a good family. Would you believe she chose the only other child-of-a-lawyer at her school? Unfortunately for him, I think she will end up being about 6 inches taller (based on his parents' heights).

Have a seat...let's catch up

What a crazy couple of weeks. We've had lots of illness and lots of busy. Let me get you caught up...

We bought a Wii for Christmas and Silas is the self-appointed "Wii King" in our house. He has basically mastered Mario Kart and has now moved onto Legos Star Wars. Un-restricted, he would play from dawn to dusk. He really is better than any of us...his hand/eye coordination is incredible. He played with my brother when he was in town:

I have been working for Findlay Craft doing "document review for ongoing patent litigation" (I can't tell you any more because I signed a confidentiality agreement - and truly, do you really care?) So the mornings are busy...up at 6:00 - I do my workout DVD while Jeff showers, I shower and get dressed...7:00 - get the kids up, fed and ready to leave at 7:40 to drive car pool for Emma. Silas has speech therapy then we are off to Little People's to drop Silas and Abby. So, one morning while I was putting on my make-up, I noticed that Abby was not in the bathroom with me and I could not hear her (you know there's trouble when you can't hear them). I found her in the kitchen...she had come down with a nasty case of the "marker pox":

It has started to warm up here- finally we are able to get outside and play in the evenings. All three kids really like getting out in our neighborhood. Emma and Silas love to ride their bikes and Abby wanders looking for our few neighborhood pets. Tonight I happened to catch a beautiful sky behind all three kids:

So there it is in a nutshell. We are all healthy, happy and blessed by God.

Abby's word explosion

Finally, Abby's vocabulary is starting to expand. Our kids seem to have an inordinate number in ear infections when they are infants/toddlers which has created speech delay. Abby is talking sooner than Silas, though, and she has some great new phrases.

She has started identifying each of us:
"Daddy"
"Mommy"
"Meema" (Emma)
"Iyraf" (Silas)
"Babby" (Abby)

She also has some new phrases:
"Mine eee Meema nak ebble" (I want to eat some of Emma's Fruity Pebbles)
"Daddy way ome?" (Is daddy on his way home?)
"Meema go cool, Iyraf go cool, mine no go cool...pway mommy day" (Emma and Silas are going to school...Abby is staying home to play with mommy)

Besides words and phrases, Abby has also taken up photography. I found that she loves my little digital camera and it will keep her happy when we are out somewhere and I need her to be patient (like waiting for Silas to finish speech therapy or at the grocery store). Here are a few of her recent photos:

A plague upon our house

This week has been brutal. One week ago, on Saturday, Abby threw up. That started 5 days of "stomach bug". When she was done, I had washed so much laundry and cleaned up so many spots on the carpet that my knuckles were bleeding (from being so dry). I was so relieved to be done with this round.

Much to my dismay, that very night, Silas threw up. The whole thing started again. It is Saturday and he is still sick. He actually laid on the couch all day today - my monkey boy was still.

Let me say for the record that I love my kids and am privileged to take care of them, especially when they are sick. Let me also say that I have cabin fever. I am actually excited to get back to work. I hope none of you have a plague upon your house!

It got cold...and I got a cold

We don't care that it is cold...we like to play outside!

I have been "off blog" for several weeks because I have been sick. It started with that strange feeling in the back of my throat and turned into three weeks of illness. For an entire week, I was without my voice. It was frustrating and exhausting. I got to the point where I had to clap at my children to get them to look at me so that I could whisper what I had to say. So miserable.

May I ask you to pray for someone tonight? My friends, Brian and Charisse Craft go to Shiloh Road Church and I work with Brian. Their youngest child, Ethan, is in 8th grade at ETCA and is in Pediatric ICU at Medical City tonight. This past week, Ethan got a fever and came down with what they thought was the flu. Testing revealed that he has a staph infection and is in septic shock. Becasue Ethan has had a pacemaker for most of his life, he was taken by helicopter to Dallas late Sunday night. His kidneys are not working very well and he is in alot of pain. If you would like to keep up with his progress, go to Caring Bridge.

Happy New Year

We wimped out on New Year's Eve once again. We didn't stay up until midnight, we didn't eat black eyed peas and we don't have any resolutions. All in all, though, we are really looking forward to a better year. 2008 was a long and stressful year...we are glad to be done with it.

Our family's first accomplishment of 2009 was getting Abby out of her crib and into a "big girl bed". We knew the time was coming but everyone (including Abby) was content for her to stay in the crib for as long as possible. On Christmas morning, however, Jeff found her standing at her door crying - she had fallen out. We left town that afternoon so the big move had to wait. Fortunately, it was relatively painless. The first night she cried about 30 minutes because she had the freedom to come out of her room but I kept putting her back in bed. Since then, she is perfectly content.

A preview of my next post...we spent Christmas day and the day after at the Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine. Have you heard of this place - a resort with an indoor water park. I'm not much for advertising on my blog, but we had a blast. More next time...