The Tender Mercies of the Lord

Bramblings....

Here is an effort to update what is happening...

Lloyd and Allie both got some of these...

thank heavens we live close to an orthodontic school I didn't realize how many appointments it takes to get the mouth ready!! Lloyd has a full set and Allie has lower brackets and an expander on top for now.

Nora loves her glasses... the only problem is we have lost one pair :(

Reuben stepped on her other pair but luckily they were able to fix them :)

Jackson has started Aikido

I love that it has helped to give him somewhere he can hit and kick and not get in trouble!

He did inform me last week that he needed a new class

he doesn't like sliding on his belly :)

I have been lamenting the fact my children don't ride on this...

my "school bus" decided to have several identity crises

1. Transmission went out - in school parking lot, playground and bathrooms close, called Lloyd, called a tow-truck, I feel blessed because we weren't anywhere dangerous like the freeway!!


2. Transmission "fixed" - until on freeway taking car to Lloyd and the solenoid pack went out, van drove 40 miles and hour back to shop, still feel blessed because Nora slept the entire time.


3. On freeway with 4 kids van over-heated- called Dawn to help, Hometeacher stopped: All the kids started shouting "The Hometeacher is going to save us!" Dawn arrives: Nora starts diving for her and pure joyous screams escape her lips!! Tow-truck arrives (same guy as before...our address still in his gps) I no longer feel so blessed actually I am a bit cranky. I do feel grateful it wasn't any worse!!!

I have to admit I have wondered if having the kids do school of choice is a good idea. I am in the car 3 hours a day, driving or waiting for kids. Then I had an IEP (individual education plan) meeting for Allie. She is making friends, she feel comfortable enough to raise her hand in class to ask for help. The OT (occupational therapist) and SL (speech and language therapist) both called before the meeting to talk to me about their goals for Allie. Allie is happier than I have seen her. She is excited to go to school. How can I not drive her? Jackson still does not like school, but he does like his teacher and generally doesn't hide when I tell him it is time to go to school. Reuben loves, loves, loves school. He even likes to hold a little girl's hand, her name is Emily. I tell him he can't have a girl friend but to be friends with the girls. I love seeing the diversity in the schools. I can't even tell you the different ethnic groups represented. It is awesome!!

Thou shalt not covet.....

but really I kinda do :)

In addition to the aforementioned items Emma has decided to play the Viola, Jackson and Reuben have a Lego Class, and the Heredity class I took, (forever ago) will count for Biology which has me finishing at the Community College this spring. Now I just need to decide if I take the academic scholarship and do the fast track at the University. I would have to take 15 credits a semester... YIKES!!

I will now end my much to long, yet only covered a bit, post. Until we meet again....

Back to School 2010

I instantly became a better mother on Tuesday morning. I love my kids and when they go to school I can't wait to see them!!

Feelings...

If you were going to use a chart to help your children
learn about feelings which would you use and why?
Do you have a different chart you like better?

Cursed then a blessing

BACKGROUND
It was one of those moments as a parents you can either laugh or scream. I have taken many pictures of my little ones all messy from head to toe and usually laughing. Today was different. Emma wanted to make cupcakes. I was getting ready to take Reuben to an appointment. Emma left the cupcake batter on the table.......
THE CURSE
Allie comes into my bathroom to let me know Nora had some cupcake batter... Nora??? allergic to eggs has never been exposed to raw eggs in her 2 years of life. I come out to find Nora not just tasting the cupcake batter but covered from head to toe. What would have been funny with any of my other children was 100% not funny. No picture of a cute girl covered in cake batter today. I stripped off her clothes and bathed her. She was already starting to get hives. I gave her Benedryl and grabbed her epi-pen.....
THE BLESSING
The appointment I was getting ready for was to take Reuben to see our Allergist Dr. Leo. We love Dr. Leo. I load up Reuben and Nora and we were off. We got to our appointment on time. Discussed Nora, Dr. Leo gave her steroids, and another antihistamine. It was such a blessing to have the appointment scheduled for Reuben. Nora is home and fine.
No ER trip was involved.....I feel blessed.

Baby Hungry

NOPE!!!
missing when mine were babies

A doctor visit

Two children went to the pediatrician today....

If you picked Nora and Jackson...
YOU WIN!!!
I have nothing to give you :)
But... YOU WIN!!!

NOTE: This is not me freaking-out this is me laughing at irony

The following is about the conversation I had with the doctor while he was checking Nora over

DR: yep, there is her little heart murmur
ME: (trying to not sound shocked) a heart murmur?
DR: did I ever tell you before she had a heart murmur?
ME: Nope
DR: Did anyone ever tell you she has a heart murmur?
ME: Nope
DR: Well it is no big deal and I hesitate to tell parents because they get all worried, most likely it will get better on its own. Just don't tell a dentist they will freak-out.
ME: Given everything we have dealt with I won't freak-out unless you tell me she is dying.
DR: The murmurs are hard to hear unless they are really quiet and usually she is really noisy because of her asthma, and you don't want to tell a parent about a false heart murmur.
ME: huh alright
DR: She is fine, look at how healthy she is.
ME: um-okay.....


Seriously, I think we have been to the doctor a million times and no one told me my baby had a heart murmur.

By the way Jackson is fine it was just a check-in for him. His well-child check is at the end of July. I wonder what they will tell me then......