Summer is Here!

It is finally summer! Though with the temperatures around here you would have though summer started back in the beginning of June. It has just been stupid hot here, and we have had no rain for at least 2 weeks, the grass is all starting to die. Which normally wouldn't be that bad, we don't care about having a pretty green lawn, but with goats and a cow who need to graze, it is going to become an issue if it doesn't rain soon. But oh well, it will be winter again before you know it and then we will be wishing for these days back again. LOL.

The kids at least have been enjoying themselves, with Alex out of school the days have been full of coloring, playing outside, going to the pool, and helping Daddy with work outside. Little Collin has just gotten over being sick with some stomach bug, he was down for the count for about 3 days, but now is back to his usual, opinionated, emotional self. Though I must say, over the last few weeks he has started listening much better. And I have seen him helping Mackenzie a lot, he will get her toys she asks for and shares with her and last night he brought her one of her baby dolls when I was putting her to bed "so she wouldn't get lonely". He really is a very sweet, kind little boy. And speaking of Mackenzie, the potty training continues. She will go on the potty, and will even go with the right timing and all, so I know she can, but she just isn't completely interested yet. Though considering she can change her own pull up now and will tell you whether she went pee pee or poopie, I may just have to take the pull ups away all together and "force" her to do it. And I have to say, her language ability is pretty amazing to me, compared to her brothers she is far beyond where they were at 2 years old. I can have a pretty normal conversation with her about most things, she expressess herself very well. And then there was Alex, he is definitly a little kid now. All the good things, like being able to make his own sandwiches and pour his own drinks, and learning how to read (very slowly), and he has a fantastic imagination. And all the bad things, like talking back, acting snotty, ordering his brother and sister around, and lying. Oh yes the lying, his new trick. At least he isn't very good at it yet, I catch him almost every time. But that is going to have to be reigned in, cause as my mom always said to my brother and I, "it isn't that you did something wrong, that can be delt with, it is that you lied about it that made me angry."

So, it is always intesting around here, never a dull moment. And now to a few pictures.

Alex and Collin coloring some pictures about outer space that I printed off the internet.

Alex found an old book of sheet music of mine from back when I was a kid and was learning how to play piano. I wrote my own (rather horrible) song in it. He saw it and copied how I wrote the notes and then proceeded to play his own 'song'.

Alex and Kenzie eating a snack. They were just too cute not to take a picture of. :-)

Last Day of School

Today was Alex's last day of school for the school year. I felt silly being a little emotionaly about it. I mean, it was only pre-k, not high school or anything, but still, I am just so proud of how he has done and to think he will be in full day kindergarten next year!! He is a kid now, not a preschooler. Alex on the other hand didn't seem to care too much. He did give his teacher a hug as we left, but after that all he could think about was what we were having for lunch. LOL. Now on to summer, I am trying to think of ways to entertain the kids. I am thinking about taking a "schoolish" approach and every week picking a theme to focus the week's activities around. Next week I think we will do 'outer space' since Alex has recently gotten into Star Wars. I figure on monday we will go to the library and pick out books about outer space, and then during the week we will work on an art project where we will build a model of the solar system using paper mache to build planets that we will paint and then maybe hang in the play room. The next week I am thinking of doing 'water' since that week Alex and Collin have their swim class all week. Beyond that I am not sure, but I am thinking of animals, dinosaurs, plants... Hopefully it will work and keep the kids busy and learning some too. :-)

Spring or Summer?

The weather around here has been very odd. Some days are 90+ degrees and sunny, others are 50 and rainy. It hasn't really felt like Spring, just summer part 1. We have already had to kiddy pool out once and have spent many days in shorts and t-shirts with icepops outside. I took this picture this past weekend. It was on the warmer side and all three kiddos climbed up on the ATV to sit and eat their icepops. I was amazed they all actually smiled and I managed to take a pretty good picture.


But on the whole nothing too exciting is going on around here. There is lots of work outside to do now that it is warming up and we are going for a small veggie garden this year, so there is lots of weeding in my future. I really can't wait for the pools so open though in like a week. The kids are old enough now that going to the pool will actually be fun this year and not a chore, plus I have lost like 20lbs and plan on buying a new bathing suit that doesn't make me feel like a cow squeezing into spandex. :-) Here we come summer!

A month gone by.

So, I know, I am getting bad at the blogging thing, a whole month and nothing posted. Oh well, here I am now with some updates!

Both Alex and Collin are all signed up for school next year, Collin for Pre-k and Alex for kindergarten. Alex is so excited about taking the bus next year too, though I am nervous about it, not from a safety point of view but just from a "oh my god my baby boy is going to be all myhimself on a bus with other kids and I don't have control!!" point of view. In other words, mommy issues. :-P But I gotta start snipping away at those apron strings one thread at a time, so Alex will ride the bus (and I am sure I will cry my eyes out that first day!).

Alex also just had his 5 year check-up last friday. He is 33lbs and 41 inches tall, small but still within normal. His weight is in the 5th percentile and his height in the 25th. Developmentally he is right on track, and growing well. He also got 2 shots, his second MMR and Varicella (chickpox). he actually did very well for those. He cried but he didn't fight at all.

Mackenzie is growing up so fast as well. She is speaking in full sentences now and is just a spunky, lively, opinionated little munchkin. She definitly keeps up with her brothers and gives them a run for their money. The potty training kinda stalled, but I am not worried, it will happen when it is supposed to happen.

Overall things have been going very well here, a lot of the same old same old, but I won't argue with that. :-)

Maturity

Something I deem as close to amazing happened this morning. I was getting the kids ready to get in the car to take Alex to school and then go to the grocery store. Alex was getting dressed on his own and I was changing Mackenzie's pullup when I saw Mackenzie had an old braclet of mine (a really old one I didn't really care about), Alex saw the braclet too and went to take it from her and in the process pulled it and broke it and beads went everywhere. Alex immedietly appologized to me, which was good in itself, but then Collin came in the room from the bathroom and asked to no one in particular "What did Mackenzie break?" assuming it was his sister who had committed the crime, Alex spoke right up before I could say anything and said "Kenzie didn't break it, I did". OMG!!! My 5 year old who loved to lie and manipulate, because well, he is 5! Just took personal responsibility for something he knew he might get in trouble for. I couldn't get upset about the braclet, I was so happy and proud. Ok OK I know, in the long run is it that big of a deal? No, not really, but It is such a thrill when you see your kids finally showing the morals and behaviors you have benn trying your darndest to instill in them. :-)

Happy 5th Birthday Alex!

On 3/12/2005 at 3:04pm (a saturday) my oldest was born. Alex was a fighter from the beginning. I had developed preeclampsia at 28 weeks and was put on bedrest at home and then full bedrest in the hospital a few days later. I had been in the hospital for a week, had gained 20lbs of water weight, and was on magnesium sulfate all the time (which makes you feel like garbage, let me tell you!) when on the night of 3/11/05 I told my nurse that I was having trouble sleeping and was uncomfortable. She went and got permission to give me an Ambien, and when she returned she decided to do a quick assessment on me. When she listened to my lungs she said it sounded a little rattly and that she was going to get me a chest x-ray. Maybe 2 hours later, the chest x-ray ws done and I was immedietly put on oxygen, I had fluid backing up into my lungs. I didn't sleep at all that night, every time I would doze off my oxygen sats would drop and the alarms would sound, everytime they would up my oxygen levels. Finally by about 7am I was on almost 100% oxygen and even with that could barely think about anything else but breathing, all I wanted was to take a deep breath and I couldn't. My OB told me today would be the day, but because of 2 other emergency c-sections I had a to wait a few hours. Luckily through all this only I was suffering, Alex was always fine, his heart rate stayed normal. Finally a little before 3pm they took me back and the docs tried to put in an epidural, but I was too swollen and after sticking me twice they had run out of time. My hubby was allowed to come in and give me a kiss as they prepped me, and at 3:02pm I was put under general anesthesia. At 3:04 little Alex was born, screaming so loud they could barely intubate him. He was 2lbs 14ozs and 15 inches long, but he was all fighter. He spent less than 24 hours on a ventilator and another 4 weeks on gradually weaning levels of oxygen. After a very uneventful 6 weeks in the NICU our little man came home. The only intervention he needed was support for his little body to grow, some time under UV lights, and one blood transfusion. He was 4lbs 8ozs when he came home, but was an excellent baby.

Today he is the picture of health and happiness. He has no lingering effects of his early birth and is smart as a whip. Today I take my little man to be registered for kindergarten. What an amazing journey his little life has been, and the blessing is, it has only really just begun.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALEX!!!! WE ALL LOVE YOU!!! :-)


Alex today with his little sister

Alex on the day he was born.

Pictures and Update

Collin, alseep. cutie-pie.

This is what happens when you leave this little girl alone for 5 minutes. LOL I was talking on the phonein the kitchen, and when I walked back into the living room, here she was. :-P

The boys playing on Hubby's drum, they loved it!

Our little drummer girl!

Thank goodness spring is almost here!! Today it was 60 degrees and bright and sunny. After this horrible winter it was absolutley fantastic. Right now I am trying to get ready for Alex's birthday party this coming saturday. This past saturday I took him up to Strasburg to ride the big steam engine they have up there. We road in the dining car and had lunch during the hour long ride. it was really a lot of fun! I do have some pictures of that, but they are in my phone, so I gotta go through the extra effort of e-mailing them to myself and, well, I just haven't done it yet! LOL. Then on the 12th Alex has his kindergarten registration, and on the 22nd Collin has his pre-k registration/testing. This month is definitly going to be busy. But, as long as this nice weathe sticks around I can deal with anything. :-) Happy Spring ya'll!