Friday, June 11, 2010

BOOOO!!!!

Well, we are on a roller coaster ride around here....we get great news, then bad news, then great news, then bad news....and on it goes. Today Colin awoke complaining of his ear hurting. So, off to the dr. we go, pay lots of $$$ for ear drops and hopefully all will be well very soon! When we were leaving the doctor's office, the boys were commenting on how there were a lot of smart people who work in the peds office. I agreed and stated to them that they could one day be a doctor. One piped up and said, "No, I am going to be a pilot." Ok, pilot is good. The other pipes up, that would be Pryce, and states, "Well, I am going to just go win a whole lot of money on the Wheel of Fortune!" Hmmmm.....

Thursday, June 10, 2010

HOORAY!


Hip, Hip, HOORAY! Three shouts for MK! We saw the ENT today and he stated that at this time she does not need ear tubes. Her eardrums are vibrating as they should and her hearing is superb! We will see him for another follow-up in August and pray for the same news :) Very encouraging!

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Father's Month



Typically our family vacations near Father's Day and Father's Day is quite often overlooked or less celebrated because of this. This year I decided to change it up a little. The children and I took off for a week at the beach sans Ryan in May. Before I left, I suggested Ryan go ahead and purchase his Father's Day gift, a grill. Though I found this a bit impersonal, I knew that Ryan would delight in choosing this particular item for himself. He did and when we returned, we not only had a new grill but there was also a table and chairs to go with....the boys were so impressed that dad got a grill that CAME WITH a table and chairs :) (So not the case but whatever makes them happy!) The next week, the children and I were out running errands. I suggested we look at bathing suits for Ryan for a Father's Day gift. We purchased one and gave it to him that night. Again, not on Father's Day. There was a pattern here and I knew we had to STOP. I came up with a plan....Father's Month. Each child made an invitation of their own and invited their dad to spend time with them, just one on one, doing something that they knew he would enjoy. Colin chose playing baseball at a local sports park and they enjoyed their afternoon yesterday complete with Gatorade and sunflower seeds. Pryce chose to take Ryan to an actual baseball game here in town and MK chose a trip to Bruster's and the pool to swim! Each "date" (one child told me that I could not refer to it as a date with dad. I asked him what I should call it and he said, "togetherness time") is scattered throughout the month so that he is honored all month, thus becoming "Father's Month." The kids like this idea so much that they have already begun to plan what they will do with their dad next Father's Month! Ryan loves the idea too and simply stated, "The only person I don't get a date with is you. Do you think we could work that in too?" So sweet that he would even think of that fact as I had overlooked it myself!

Monday, June 7, 2010

On most days, MK is up for a challenge. Saturday was no different. I noticed our front door was less than sparkling, so I engaged MK in a little cleaning.
She managed like a sport and asked for more water often.
When she was all done, this was the look I got. My interpretation of this stance/look is, "See, I can do anything!" And she can! (Or at least she thinks she can because she is "bigger and she is three years old!" I hear those words quite often lately!) I will say, though she is indeed bigger, she is still our baby girl at heart. A few weeks ago, she asked to use a booster seat in the car. We gladly switched her from the car seat to the booster. She was so proud to be in a big girl seat. As she was getting into the car yesterday for a trip to SC, she asked for the baby seat back. She said, "I a baby. I need to sleep." The booster is not ideal for sleeping toddlers and their bobbing heads. The switch was made and she kept telling Ryan, "Thank you daddy for my baby seat. I love it!" And then she slept all the way home....just like every baby should!

Sunday, June 6, 2010

Monday thru Wednesday my boys were busy selling toys, cookies and lemonade. It was so much fun for them and fun for me to see how they lured in their unsuspecting customers, the neighbors. Each morning they pulled out two tables with chairs, made new signs and got out the "tip jar." Thursday brought on a new set of goals. The neighbor and P decided to sit in our driveway and play music with the lovely tip jar beside them. All this coupled with swimteam practice every morning, school and baseball. Swimteam is in full gear now. Pryce was able to swim at the first meet on Tuesday. Pryce is my guy who loves sleep and needs sleep and has his father's gift of being able to sleep at any given moment. On Tuesday, Pryce was one tired guy. And on Tuesday night, at the meet, he was even more tired....and scared. He was chosen to swim his first IM....this event is a four lap swim with every stroke. This is the same event that another one of my children, no name will be mentioned, was asked to swim last year and he promptly told the coach that he would not be doing it again! It is a challenging, intimidating swim. Pryce, who normally dives head first into most things, was scared, tired and less than excited to be doing this event. Add in the fact that it was 10:15pm when he finally got on deck to dive in.....but, the little man got up, met it like a man and came in THIRD place - we will take that for a first try! Colin was out on the baseball field during the first meet....their team won, yahoo, and they will begin their season tournament this upcoming week! We began school this week too - sort of. The boys and I are just not fully ready to swing into school again. I thought a month would be enough to rejuvenate us, but.....we compromised. We are full swing into reading, math and grammar. Colin began a new math book called Life of Fred....for a child who loves to read, it is a great resource. Colin thinks it is hilarious! And he is learning too....what is not to like?! Our week ended with a bang....our adoption group gathering! We LOVE having this group in our lives.....and seeing the children grow together is wonderful. It has only been two months but in those two months, we have welcomed two babies home from China, and one domestic kiddo will come home this month! Our family and another are in the process and just the other day our social worker emailed to say there was yet another family in our area going back to China for their second child! Woo-Hoo!