A few weeks ago I took Ella Jane up to the school district pre-school for a screening. We're trying to decide when and where she will go to pre-school, so we started with the district program to see if that would be a good fit (Patrick and Jack went to the same program). While there, the school nurse did a basic vision screening. Kevin and I were totally surprised when we found out that Ella Jane failed the test! She cooperated nicely, so it was not a question of being unable to test her. So, we followed up with the eye doctor and he found that she did, in fact, need glasses. She was very excited about it. While at the eye doctor she had to identify a series of shapes. When she got to the house shape she said, "pentagon". The eye doctor laughed and said no one had ever said that before! Yup, that's my smart girl! When we got the glasses a few days after the exam Ella Jane seemed amazed at what she could see clearly. We've had no trouble at all getting her to wear her glasses; I suppose she enjoys seeing so she doesn't mind having them on at all. Our friend, Jill, said, "now she looks as smart as she is." True enough!
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Lookin' Smart!
A few weeks ago I took Ella Jane up to the school district pre-school for a screening. We're trying to decide when and where she will go to pre-school, so we started with the district program to see if that would be a good fit (Patrick and Jack went to the same program). While there, the school nurse did a basic vision screening. Kevin and I were totally surprised when we found out that Ella Jane failed the test! She cooperated nicely, so it was not a question of being unable to test her. So, we followed up with the eye doctor and he found that she did, in fact, need glasses. She was very excited about it. While at the eye doctor she had to identify a series of shapes. When she got to the house shape she said, "pentagon". The eye doctor laughed and said no one had ever said that before! Yup, that's my smart girl! When we got the glasses a few days after the exam Ella Jane seemed amazed at what she could see clearly. We've had no trouble at all getting her to wear her glasses; I suppose she enjoys seeing so she doesn't mind having them on at all. Our friend, Jill, said, "now she looks as smart as she is." True enough!
Monday, October 4, 2010
Back to School!
The summer went so fast and on August 19 we found ourselves starting another school year. I'm never excited about the start of school. I love summers with my kids home, all the carefree days, and fun outings. But, I had to keep a stiff upper lip and send them off.
Isabelle started 5th grade! I'm still not used to saying that and it sounds strange in my ears. How is it that she has become such big kid? She was excited, which made saying goodbye a little easier. She was happy that her close friends Makyla, Kiri, and Hannah are all in her class, but Jaci is in the other 5th grade, which is a big bummer! At least they are together for the 2nd half of the day when they go to gifted.
Jack started 3rd grade and has also begun the gifted program. We are so proud of him! He loves school and does very well. We were excited to have another 2 years with Ms. Newman, the 3rd and 4th grade gifted teacher; she is an amazing, energetic, fun, creative teacher. Jack also has Mrs. Jennings, who is the same teacher Isabelle had for 3rd grade. He loves her class; she too, is one of our favorites at the school! It's going to be a great year for Jack!
Patrick and his BFF, Maddy, started kindergarten! I can't believe we're here! Patrick has come such a long way. I had no idea what to expect with him and kindergarten. I was nervous and very sad. I was very emotional the whole week (the whole summer, actually) before school started. Unfortunately, I started that day not feeling well. I had been battling a 4 day long migraine, a trip to the ER, and being overly-tired. So, when we got to school (Kevin and I drove him the first day) I burst into tears! It didn't help that my friend, Laura, works at the school. As soon as she saw me and said, "how are you?" I couldn't keep myself together. To make it worse, the more I tried not to cry, the more I did the ugly cry. But, Patrick was just so happy. Ms. Lawrence had him lead the class down the hall. He held a big sign that read, "Ms. Lawrence's Kindergarten". He was so proud to be line leader! Oh and despite being the very youngest in the class... he is the tallest!
Unfortunately, Maddy and Patrick are not in the same class. They both were sad, but quickly found new friends and realized they still had bus rides, lunch, recess, and other activities to be together. It wasn't so bad being one room away from each other. Patrick was thrilled to get to his seat and find his very own name right there waiting for him. It was nice for us to have Ms. Lawrence for the 3rd time. She knows our family and welcomed Patrick with open arms. He was a newborn when Isabelle started kindergarten and Ms. Lawrence said then, "he will be my student in a few years". At the time that seemed so far off. Yet, here we are! I had talked to her on many occasions before school started. She was completely aware of Patrick's needs and delays. She's done great with him! Within the first week I saw a huge change in how he was writing his letters and numbers. Then within the first month of school Patrick was reading! Amazing! He still has occupational, speech, and physical therapies. He also has a one-on-one aide for one hour each day to help him with handwriting and fine motor.
On their second day of school Patrick and Maddy got on the bus. Of course they sat together!
Maddy gets off the bus with my kids each day and stays here for about an hour until her mom gets home from work. The very first week the kids got homework packets and sat down to work on it together. They were very serious about it!
Kindergarten can take a lot out of a kid. Patrick went into his room and fell asleep many afternoons those first couple weeks of school. He's adjusting and doing much better, but needs that 7:00 p.m. bedtime. He's not always easy to get moving in the morning, even after nearly 12 hours of sleep!
Isabelle started 5th grade! I'm still not used to saying that and it sounds strange in my ears. How is it that she has become such big kid? She was excited, which made saying goodbye a little easier. She was happy that her close friends Makyla, Kiri, and Hannah are all in her class, but Jaci is in the other 5th grade, which is a big bummer! At least they are together for the 2nd half of the day when they go to gifted.
Jack started 3rd grade and has also begun the gifted program. We are so proud of him! He loves school and does very well. We were excited to have another 2 years with Ms. Newman, the 3rd and 4th grade gifted teacher; she is an amazing, energetic, fun, creative teacher. Jack also has Mrs. Jennings, who is the same teacher Isabelle had for 3rd grade. He loves her class; she too, is one of our favorites at the school! It's going to be a great year for Jack!
Patrick and his BFF, Maddy, started kindergarten! I can't believe we're here! Patrick has come such a long way. I had no idea what to expect with him and kindergarten. I was nervous and very sad. I was very emotional the whole week (the whole summer, actually) before school started. Unfortunately, I started that day not feeling well. I had been battling a 4 day long migraine, a trip to the ER, and being overly-tired. So, when we got to school (Kevin and I drove him the first day) I burst into tears! It didn't help that my friend, Laura, works at the school. As soon as she saw me and said, "how are you?" I couldn't keep myself together. To make it worse, the more I tried not to cry, the more I did the ugly cry. But, Patrick was just so happy. Ms. Lawrence had him lead the class down the hall. He held a big sign that read, "Ms. Lawrence's Kindergarten". He was so proud to be line leader! Oh and despite being the very youngest in the class... he is the tallest!
Unfortunately, Maddy and Patrick are not in the same class. They both were sad, but quickly found new friends and realized they still had bus rides, lunch, recess, and other activities to be together. It wasn't so bad being one room away from each other. Patrick was thrilled to get to his seat and find his very own name right there waiting for him. It was nice for us to have Ms. Lawrence for the 3rd time. She knows our family and welcomed Patrick with open arms. He was a newborn when Isabelle started kindergarten and Ms. Lawrence said then, "he will be my student in a few years". At the time that seemed so far off. Yet, here we are! I had talked to her on many occasions before school started. She was completely aware of Patrick's needs and delays. She's done great with him! Within the first week I saw a huge change in how he was writing his letters and numbers. Then within the first month of school Patrick was reading! Amazing! He still has occupational, speech, and physical therapies. He also has a one-on-one aide for one hour each day to help him with handwriting and fine motor.
On their second day of school Patrick and Maddy got on the bus. Of course they sat together!
Maddy gets off the bus with my kids each day and stays here for about an hour until her mom gets home from work. The very first week the kids got homework packets and sat down to work on it together. They were very serious about it!
Kindergarten can take a lot out of a kid. Patrick went into his room and fell asleep many afternoons those first couple weeks of school. He's adjusting and doing much better, but needs that 7:00 p.m. bedtime. He's not always easy to get moving in the morning, even after nearly 12 hours of sleep!
Day at the Farm!
Summer was coming to an end, so Melissa and I decided we needed to do one last fun outing with the kids. So we loaded up all 7 kids (I had Leah for the day too) and headed to Fair Oaks Dairy Farm in Indiana. It was a really fun day.
Patrick driving a John Deer.
Morgan loved the homemade ice cream (Melissa did too)!
The model, Maddy, posing for the camera.
At the farm we were able to see a Cow give birth. This shot is right after the calf was delivered. We watched for the last 10 minutes or so. The kids had some questions, but mostly they just were in awe of seeing this new life come into the world. Mom made pushing her big 4-legged baby out look easy!
A while later we went to check in on "our" calf. It's a girl! She weighed 83 pounds and was doing very well about 2 hours after her birth.
So, getting 7 kids to pose for a picture is not as easy as one might think. Here was our feeble attempt. Isabelle was hiding behind the bench refusing to get her picture taking. Leah was trying to convince her to stand up.
This was as close as we were going to get to everyone looking at the camera.
The highlight of the trip was this huge "jumping pillow". The kids loved it. I got up there and jumped too, it was a lot of fun. It was a really hot day, so the only way to really tolerate it was to keep jumping, no one wanted to stand still for very long on the hot vinyl surface. Patrick did get up for a minute or so, but I didn't get a picture of him up there. He only wanted to be on it if he was alone or only with Isabelle. He didn't want anyone jumping to high next to him. I find comfort knowing he won't ever do anything crazy like jump out of airplanes or climb Mount Everest. He's my cautious kid, for sure!
Isabelle and Jack got some air beneath their feet, no fear from these two!
Patrick driving a John Deer.
Morgan loved the homemade ice cream (Melissa did too)!
The model, Maddy, posing for the camera.
At the farm we were able to see a Cow give birth. This shot is right after the calf was delivered. We watched for the last 10 minutes or so. The kids had some questions, but mostly they just were in awe of seeing this new life come into the world. Mom made pushing her big 4-legged baby out look easy!
A while later we went to check in on "our" calf. It's a girl! She weighed 83 pounds and was doing very well about 2 hours after her birth.
So, getting 7 kids to pose for a picture is not as easy as one might think. Here was our feeble attempt. Isabelle was hiding behind the bench refusing to get her picture taking. Leah was trying to convince her to stand up.
This was as close as we were going to get to everyone looking at the camera.
The highlight of the trip was this huge "jumping pillow". The kids loved it. I got up there and jumped too, it was a lot of fun. It was a really hot day, so the only way to really tolerate it was to keep jumping, no one wanted to stand still for very long on the hot vinyl surface. Patrick did get up for a minute or so, but I didn't get a picture of him up there. He only wanted to be on it if he was alone or only with Isabelle. He didn't want anyone jumping to high next to him. I find comfort knowing he won't ever do anything crazy like jump out of airplanes or climb Mount Everest. He's my cautious kid, for sure!
Isabelle and Jack got some air beneath their feet, no fear from these two!
A Very Special Gift!
Grandpa Pete made a very special birthday gift for Patrick and Ella Jane. Grandma Mary found a couple of puppets for the kids and so they decided they needed a theater along with them. Grandpa Pete used his artist talent to build and paint this very cool theater! The kids love it. Surely, the kids will remember for a long time what a special handmade gift they received from their Grandpa.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Birthdays!
Once again we had our annual August Birthday Bash! It was a great day (well, almost... keep reading). Of course, it was the hottest day of the year as it always is on our party day, but the heat didn't stop the fun.
We surprised the kids by renting a bounce house for the day. It was a big hit with all the kids from 12 months to 12 years!
Elsaya, Ella Jane, and Leah
Shortly after the party began the kids were running around the house when Patrick and our little friend, Taylor, came upon a hole. The stomped on the hole only to find out it was a wasp nest. It was absolutely awful. We moms heard the screaming and ran! Unfortunately, our friend, Christine (Taylor's mom), ran while holding her 12 month old. Both of them each got one sting. Taylor's big brother, Connor, also got a sting. In one shot 4 out of 7 people in that family got hurt. I felt terrible. Taylor and Patrick suffered the most. Taylor with 5 stings and Patrick with 7! This is certainly one way to remember his 5th birthday! We handed out benadryl, nursed the wounds, and tried comforting the kids. Nothing was working. Finally, I said, "want to open presents?" That did the trick. Although, Patrick did not want to go back outside for that. Thus, we crowded into our living room and opened presents before we even served food. I know it's not the proper thing to do, but heck, the birthday boy got 7 bee stings!
When things calmed down and we were able to get back to partying we lined everyone up to hit a pinata. We decided to let the kids take their turns from youngest to oldest.
Almost everyone got a turn before the pinata busted open!
Patrick and Maddy
The Guests of honor! Patrick is 5 years old! Ella Jane is 3! Where has the time gone?
I love this picture! I wish I knew what the kids were all looking at. Patrick looks so surprised. I was taking the picture, but clearly, I had no idea what was happening next to me. I love Nick's face, it's such a mess! He must have been having a good time!
Jenna and Marissa Martin. They both liked the cake!
Auntie Jen made this beautiful bracelet for Ella Jane. The other side does have "Jane" on it.
We surprised the kids by renting a bounce house for the day. It was a big hit with all the kids from 12 months to 12 years!
Elsaya, Ella Jane, and Leah
Shortly after the party began the kids were running around the house when Patrick and our little friend, Taylor, came upon a hole. The stomped on the hole only to find out it was a wasp nest. It was absolutely awful. We moms heard the screaming and ran! Unfortunately, our friend, Christine (Taylor's mom), ran while holding her 12 month old. Both of them each got one sting. Taylor's big brother, Connor, also got a sting. In one shot 4 out of 7 people in that family got hurt. I felt terrible. Taylor and Patrick suffered the most. Taylor with 5 stings and Patrick with 7! This is certainly one way to remember his 5th birthday! We handed out benadryl, nursed the wounds, and tried comforting the kids. Nothing was working. Finally, I said, "want to open presents?" That did the trick. Although, Patrick did not want to go back outside for that. Thus, we crowded into our living room and opened presents before we even served food. I know it's not the proper thing to do, but heck, the birthday boy got 7 bee stings!
When things calmed down and we were able to get back to partying we lined everyone up to hit a pinata. We decided to let the kids take their turns from youngest to oldest.
Almost everyone got a turn before the pinata busted open!
Patrick and Maddy
The Guests of honor! Patrick is 5 years old! Ella Jane is 3! Where has the time gone?
I love this picture! I wish I knew what the kids were all looking at. Patrick looks so surprised. I was taking the picture, but clearly, I had no idea what was happening next to me. I love Nick's face, it's such a mess! He must have been having a good time!
Jenna and Marissa Martin. They both liked the cake!
Auntie Jen made this beautiful bracelet for Ella Jane. The other side does have "Jane" on it.
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