January 2013

Talia ready to hit the slopes!

Happy kid sled picture!  Yeah!

 

 

Alaina sleds & Ky chases her

 

 

Talia likes to eat snow

 

This would be applesauce hair

Talia loves her brother

Laina dances and sings "Away in a Manger"

Just being cute!

Ky's winter concert

Hamburger cake I made for Ryan & Lisa's b'days

The girls enjoying technology with A. Lisa

Snacks with Grandpa

The Birthday kids Ryan & Lisa

Our attempts to do passport pictures

She kept smiling for hers...

Perhaps because her father was setting a bad example

Okay...and mom too...

Dancing on the table...Her leg is all better!

                                          Alaina's cute passport pic

A new outfit from Aunt Julie--quickly became a favorite!

 

Ky's winter concert part 1, He is in the top row, gray and green shirt.

 

 Ky's winter concert part 2

 

 Ky's winter concert part 3

Talia sings Happy Birthday to Grandma and gets cookies

 

 

 January was quite a month for us.  With Talia being hurt early on in the month--we just kind of rolled with the punches and hit survival mode.  She needed a lot of extra holding and compassion.  She also needed a lot of activities to keep her busy since she wasn't able to move.  I do think that she appreciates playing with building blocks more now...and will sit a bit longer with books (though not much unless Aunt Julie comes over to read to her...)

 

Before Talia got hurt--we had a fun day sledding.  The kids had a blast...and even Talia enjoyed her few runs down the hill with Dad. 

 

We had planned to go to Shawano over MLK day, but our plans were thrown with unbelievably cold temps and snow.  It didn't really seem worth the trip if we weren't going to be able to do much.  Instead, we stayed at home and enjoyed putting together a puzzle and playing games and watching movies.  Ky is finally old enough to enjoy playing board games with.  Alaina tries--but often gets bored/frustrated or her playing pieces magically turn into something else and she if off in her own world.  Talia--well Talia is all about destroying the game--I mean exploring.  It is hard keeping her off the table. 

 

We also finalized our vacation plans.  Ten years ago, Rob and I decided that we would go to Hawaii on our 10th anniversary.  We have been faithfully saving and anticipating this reward ever since then.  With the kids ages and such we had decided we would take them (Nana said she would come along) and attempt to go over Spring Break so we wouldn't have to pull Ky out of school.  We were shocked to find that airline tix were over $900 a piece just to GET to Hawaii.  RIDICULOUS!  So our plans to Hawaii were quickly nixed. :(  That's when I mentioned to Rob about still going on a vacation and planning Hawaii on our 20th anniversary (the kids would probably appreciate it more then anyway.)  So we began exploring our options and finally settled on a Carribean cruise.  We are excited.  We were unable to go over Ky's spring break (it was too expensive--I guess everyone tries to go places over spring break) so we will be going several weeks later.  We will have to take Ky out of school for a week--but hey, it's once every ten years....not like we will be doing this regularly.  We will visit the Grand Cayman islands and Cozumel--and BONUS--Rob's mom & Jan will still be coming with us, so we will have some extra help.  Now we just have to hope that no one gets sea sick! :)  For our trip, we had to get passport cards, so we attempted to take the pictures ourselves...and then we gave up.  The kids were not looking straight on. Their heads were too big, then too small...it just became too difficult.  So I took the kiddos to CVS to have them do it--and was tortured by how long it took them to get the photos right.  (I guess I'm not the only one to have problems.)  They are done now though so I am happy! :)  Stay Tuned for the April blog which will have tons of great pics and stories!  YEAH!

 

So...I'm just going to summarize our family happenings by person...it has been too long.

 

Rob is still working in Personal Lines at AmFam.  He is hoping to move up to management and try something new.  His love for beer and coffee continues to grow as he bought himself a Keurig and continues to roast his own coffee.  And beer...yeah.  I guess you would say he is a connoiseur.  I have to say I don't like much of what he drinks--but he enjoys finding the new beers that have been brewed--especially bourbon barrel ones.  He enjoys beer tastings with friends. 

 

Me--well...I am still trying to master this stay-at-home mom thing...or this mom thing in general.  I have read some great books "Shepherding Your Child's Heart" and heard some great sermons by Andy Stanley (Future Family) that continue to motivate and inspire me.  Rob and I are also currently attending a parenting seminar (Effective Parenting in a Defective World) that inspires us both to become better parents.  We still hope some day to do some fostering and have really struggled with if we should move sooner or later.  We just refinanced the house again and are excited to be owing less on the house with every passing month.  At the same time, we know that if we want to foster, we need something a little bigger---something with preferably an extra bedroom and a second full bath.  (I fear for the day our children are teenagers....one shower is not going to cut it.)  We have talked about a possible addition to our house as well.  We both really like our neighborhood and school system and have no desire to move.  For now we trust the Lord will guide us and that it will become apparent what he wants us to do.  Oh wait--me--oh yeah...I gotta talk more about me...   Well, I am taking a break from piano lessons.  The next class was cancelled and I didn't want to take the lower level class.  Instead, I am trying to send this semester focusing on the future of my education.  Should I get my Master's? And if so, in what?  Should I get my biology certification?  My head has been spinning around this.  Hopefully in the next month or so, I will feel more definite direction.  I continue to sub and in general that is going really well for me.  I am doing much better with younger and older kids, though I still really struggle with the middle school kids (grades 5-8), though I know that age is a struggle for everyone.  I just wish I could come up with some better ways to deal with students.  Enough of me....

 

Kylan.  Kylan's love for sports overflows.  Every day at recess he plays soccer.  And if you ask him what his favorite part of the day was--he will say "playing soccer at recess."  He also is currently playing in a basketball league on Saturdays that he LOVES!  He is really bummed when he misses a game (sometimes there are tears.)  A good consequence for him is to say "no sports".  That quickly grabs his attention and gets the motivation to fix whatever he is doing wrong.  Ky continues to LOVE first grade and excel at it.  Sometimes I catch him mumbling in Spanish or exchanging English words for Spanish words.  It is clear that he has learned a lot and I would consider him bilingual at this point.  His reading in both English and Spanish is awesome as well as his math.  His least favorite subject is Music--and of course he gets lower marks in there because he goofs around.  However, he was pretty stinking cute in his school music concert.

 

Alaina.  This girls always amuses me.  Life is a stage to her and she is always performing.    She continues to grow by leaps and bounds.  Homeschooling has gone well with her.  She is *Very* close to reading.  It really is just getting her the stamina to try.  (She is pretty active and doesn't like to sit down for too long.)  She LOVES playing with Talia, but then also gets very angry when Talia starts destroying her stuff.  Her sleeping has really been improving too. We had been going through spurts of her waking up and screaming due to leg pain and such in the middle of the night.  Of course there is very little that we can do except try to comfort--and Alaina is not very accepting of comforting touches when she wakes up.  Alaina loves playing with her friends Arianna and Lexi at the Princeton club.  We try having them over every now and then for playdates.  They are her best friends.  She dislikes going to the library and story time--but I make her go anyway.  She usually enjoys it once she sits down and the librarian begins reading.  These "classroom" type situations are important preparations and I really want her to see other people reading and taking interest in it.  Rob and I (more I than him) still struggle with whether or not to send her to 4K next year.  Educationally she is receiving all she needs from home as well as has plenty of playtime with friends.  4K however would prepare her from being away from me (Kindergarten).  I think this is something she struggles with sometimes.  It will also prepare her for the classroom atmosphere.  If she goes.  I will miss her.  4 days a week is a lot and I am not sure I am ready to let go yet.  She is my child and my time with her is too short as it is.

 

Talia--well..I wish I had blogged more for her sake.  I know I have missed much because I have not blogged (three kids though makes it hard!)  Talia will always be my baby--and she knows how to work it with me.  She continues to nurse--I have been trying to wean--but it has been rough.  I weaned Ky and Alaina at 18 months and she has no desire.  I am not sure what I am going to do right now.  So I just continue on.  At the same time I know that our nursing time is special cuddle time.  UGH!  What to do!?  Talia can have the sweetest personality covering you in hugs and kisses and then next you know she is screaming at the top of her lungs for fun.  She is my little spitfire!  She loves to climb...EGADS!  And wants to be involved.  If we are leaving she will grab her coat and shoes and try to put them on.  When Daddy comes home she will help him take off his shoes.  She is so helpful and ready to grow up.  She has also gone potty on the toilet several times.  She tells us after she goes by saying "Poopy Stinky" (okay it is really hilarious when she does this in public.)  Unfortunately--she isn't consistant enough that I think she is ready to train.  I think it will be a few months yet.  Talia LOVES baths.  You mention bath and she will run upstairs and begin ripping off her clothes.  And then when you pull her out she screams and cries.  It is pretty funny.  Her talking is amazing too.  She will talk in short sentences.  And she loves to yell "me too!" if anyone says they are doing something.  Cookies are her motivation. In fact it has been one of her favorite words.  She points at the cabinets and says "cookies please!"  Very cute.  

 

January is done and now I must continue to catch up on this blog....to the next month!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas 2012

Christmas 2012 started off with a bang.  On Thursday, Dec 20, we had a blizzard.  We had been planning to leave for my mother's that evening--but instead spent the day digging out.   Ky's school was closed (and it was closed the next day) due to the weather.  We received over 14" in 24 hours.  It was fun.  At one point the power went out and I quickly realized I should have heeded my friend's advice to "make sure everything is charged".  Our phones were dead.  Luckily our neighbor's still had power and we borrowed their phone to call back Rob's mom (our conversation had been cut off) and then to call the power company.  The power was out only for an hour or so.

Friday, at lunchtime, we departed to our now shortened trip to Indiana.  Despite the weather we made excellent time.  We arrived at my mother's in time for dinner.  We let the kids get their wiggles out and then we were off to bed.  Saturday morning my mom had an oriaentation class and we had planned to visit my good friend Liz and meet her baby Graham.  Unfortunately, due to sickness, Liz & Adam did not arrive until later on Saturday.  We enjoyed Saturday with Grandpa Terry and my mother.  Joel & Jamie also joined us for dinner. 

On Sunday my Aunt and Uncle and their grand daughters as well as Joel & Jamie came over for a Sunday luncheon.  My mom made turkey and it was a WONDERFUL meal.  (Yeah, I ate a lot!)  Ky, however, did not eat much at all.  He became sick and when we were getting ready to leave he actually puked.  (Excellent timing as usual.)  We were then faced with the decision of leaving with a puking child or staying until he got better.  Rob and I looked at it this way--when one gets sick, often the others follow.  We didn't have a whole lot of clothes and we weren't in the comfort of our own home.  It seemed like a better idea to just hit the road and get home before anyone else got sick.  On the way out we made a very quick stop at the Vander Heyden's and met baby Graham (so cute!).  It was a good trip, but sad since our visiting time was cut short with everyone.

Poor Ky, continued puking in the car (in baggies), but once out of Indiana he stopped.  By the time we hit Wisconsin he was actually asking for food.  Luckily no one else got sick. 

Monday, Nana & Grandma Jan came over.  It was a nice relaxing day full of cookie eating (especially now that we realized we had forgot to give the Vander Heyden's the cookies we had baked for them.  It was a yummy affair.  The kids had some gifts.  Ky received a fun game with rubberband and discs that he loved.  Alaina got fingerpainting (need I say more?) And Talia got her first big girl game. 

After playing with all the new toys, we were off to church for Christmas Eve service. 

14" + of snow...Blizzard of 2012

 

Aunt Jamie & Uncle Joel

 

Aunt Char & Cousin Jade

 

The Irvin Clan

 

Liz & Baby Graham

 

The Vander Heyden Clan

 

Christmas Eve game of Sorry

 

A good book with G'ma Jan

 

Dressed for Christmas Eve Service

 

Giving Big Brother a Kiss

 

Time to check our stockings

 

Baseball ornament from U. Adam & A. Liz

 

A new puzzle

 

Are you ready for some FOOTBALL?!

 

A football and a tutu...a well rounded girl

 

Abby Cadabby

 

G'ma Bucky always makes an appearance somehow! :)

 

Princess?

 

My Boy!

 

Traveling with babies

 

Feeding G'ma

 

Christmas Day

 

That's my girl!

 

Learning from big sister

 

Checking out cousin Devin's new gift

 

Happy with her babies

 

One day Joseph was mysteriously replaced with Elmo...I am still unsure which kid did

this...

 

Meet Mr. & Mrs. tree

 

Gingerbread house making

 

Alaina's fell before we got a picture

 

One happy boy

 

Make that 2 happy boys

 

And my personal favorite!

 

Currently our family is in limbo with churches.  We have been strugggling to find something that meets want Rob and I need as well as has a strong program for kids.  The church we had been attending had split up and the new "branch" we were attending made it very difficult for us to hear any of the sermon (it overlooked a pool) when our kids were vey distracted.  We have been attending a church nearby that a friend goes to.  While we enjoy the messages and the children's program we know it is not quite the right fit since the worship is not the right style for us.  We plan to continue looking with the new year and pray that God guides us to a new church home.  Anyway....we attended the current church's service and it was really nice.  Even the kids enjoyed the service, which says a lot! 

After church we drove around our neighborhood and enjoyed the Christmas lights before heading home and getting ready for bed.  Earlier that day, I had let the kids each open a present early.  I had made each kid a photo book of their birth.  It didn't quite receive the excitement I hoped for, but I know they will appreciate it later on in life. 

Of course, the kids were up bright and early the next morning.  (Santa did not give me the gift of sleeping in.)  We put our usual YUMMY Christmas breakfast casserole in the oven and let the kids have fun with their gifts.  The house was trashed as usual. 

From there we were off for the Schnake Christmas which was nice.  The kids opened gifts early, which really helped out with timing.  They were then busy and less frantic/excited.  The kids had a blast with cousins.  And we had a nice time with adult conversation--hearing from Ryan about Spain, and of course Debi filling us in on various family.  I always love hearing her stories. 

It was a very nice Christmas (though busy with travels.)  I am glad we did the Indiana visit though--and am happy to have seen family and friends. 

So a few other fun details, from the pics...We REALLY needed to get a new tree.  And we couldn't find any for a price we like so we (or I should say Rob) decided to get a real tree.  Ky got to pick it out--and let me tell you the tree was MASSIVE.  Anyway, a few days after Christmas we found a nice artificial tree--and of course we had to set it up when we got home...so that is why we had the dueling trees--and yes we left both of them up for a week.  It was fun!

Over Christmas break we also had a Gingerbread house decorating party.  The kids had fun--though Alaina's broke before we were able to get a picture.  They loved piling on the frosting and the candy.  Massive amounts of sugar were consumed...and we did this during Talia's nap to spare her the unhealthy binging.   Yeah 2 blogs this month.  I am proud of myself.  Now if I can just backtrack...so many pictures and adventures, so little time to blog!

Talia's Fall

At the end of Winter Break, I took the kids sledding with our playgroup and then we went to McD's for lunch. They have an indoor playground and the kids enjoy running through it. Talia is too small to climb up into it, so her "running" tends to be limited. However, since Ky was with he actually helped her up so she could get down the slide. I was okay with this since she enjoys it. Well, I guess I was wrong. I was chatting with friends and keeping an eye on them. Ky had helped her up 2 platforms and Talia suddenly decided she wanted to get down. I watched her lower herself and then he feet missed the platform below and she fell feet first. She bumped her head on the platform and then proceeded to fall into a lower portion of the play area. It was a big fall (about 4 feet), but I wasn't over-concerned (boy was I wrong.) When she had bumped her head, it didn't appear that hard (her head didn't jerk forward or anything). She was laying on the bottom and crying. I asked Ky to help her out (She had fallen into what I call the "pit of despair"--Alaina has only now gotten big enough to climb out of it on her own.) Ky lifted her out, but then Talia continued laying on her stomach crying. I thought she was just upset. (Again--I was wrong. Perhaps this is part of the problem of having multiple children, falls just don't seem to phase you in the same way.) I called for her to come to me (It is very hard for adults to climb into these play areas.) Again she wasn't coming. Ky and a bigger girl helped pull her out to me. When I got her, I checked her head and saw a small red bump--no biggie. I calmed her down and then offered her french fries which she refused (weird!) She then tried to fall asleep in my lap. I then started wondering if maybe she hit her head a bit harder than I realized. My friend Rachel is a nurse, so I asked her opinion. She looked at Talia's eyes and said she looked fine. Talia then napped in my arms for the next 30 minutes. When she awoke she was moody. We packed up and left for home then. When we got home, it was then that I realized she was not moving her right leg. UGH! I called the doc and they had no openings until that evening in Urgent Care. When Rob got home we headed for Urgent Care. Poor Talia. She was so crabby and at this point, I was really worried it was broke. The Doc at Urgent Care also agreed with me. She was sure it was broke. She ordered X-rays. And after a long wait and many more tears the x-rays were done. Upon returning back to the doc, I was drug *anxiously* by the doctor back to radiology. The doctor told me to wait outside the room and went to speak to the radiologist. At this point, I began to panic. I was envisioning social services being called on me because of this severe break in Talia's leg. Several minutes later the doc reappeared and took me back to her office. There she told me that the x-rays did not reveal any breaks and that if Talia wasn't walking by Monday, I should come back. This was the first frustrating part of Talia's journey. I returned home, shared the news with Rob, and put Talia to bed. At 11 that night, I went to check on Talia and discovered her bedding was soaking wet. My first thoughts was that Alaina had dumped her water on her. I called Rob and told her to pick her up so we could change the sheets. He picked her up and then Tali began vomiting. (Note to self--wet bed could mean vomit!) We ran her to the bathroom. For the next 3 hours Talia vomited repeatedly. She was so tired and exhausted. There was very little rest for her. Around 2:30, my brain started to think about everything...fall, leg, bump on head, vomiting (the fact that she didn't even cry the first time she vomited in bed)....I went downstairs and called the clinic. The instructed us to go to the ER. So off we went. We dropped off Ky & Laina at our friends Ben & Crystal and drove with Talia puking to the ER. When we got there, Talia's blood pressure was elevated and her heart rate was high. She was crabby and clearly in pain with her leg. The docs looked at her head briefly, but could not find a bump so they focused on her leg which they figured was the cause of everything. They gave her anit-nausea meds and prepared her for possible IV's to help with fluids and pain meds if necessary. It was a very long 5 hours...They took additional x-rays of her hip and still were unable to find a fracture. Even an Orthopedic Doc came and basically said--we see no breaks, we don't have any reason to believe we should cast her--go home and if she isn't walking by Monday see an Orthopedic Pediatrician. So off we left with a diagnosis of "Right Leg Pain" and they assumed the vomiting was associated to the pain she was in. To their credit, by the time we were discharged, Talia seemed to be feeling much better and began sleeping. That day was Friday--and it was an off day. We picked up the big kids and went home. We plopped Ky & Alaina in front of the DVD player and Rob and I went upstairs with Talia and slept for the remainder of the morning. By early afternoon, Ky began complaining of being sick and wanting to puke. I really need to give Ky more credit--because I doubted him, or maybe I just didn't want to believe him--I was already dealing with one kid with problems, I sure didn't need another. Well sure enough, Ky then began to vomit. I was then dealing with a crying baby from pain and frustration of not being able to move and a crying boy who was over the toilet. EGADS! You know the saying "When it rains, it pours"? EXACTLY! We survived that day--and were happy to head to bed that night to try to make up for our lack of sleep. The next morning Alaina woke us up nice and early like usual. We sat down for breakfast and Talia began barfing all over again! This whole time she did not have a fever, so we knew that she did not have what Ky had (and the ER confirmed this the day before.) I was pretty much done with all the puke and called Urgent Care. A nurse there recommended that I should go back to the ER. I wasn't convinced that that was going to necessarily help us. At this point, we were concerned that her bumped head had more to do with her vomiting than pain (we were keeping her pain meds.) I was able to get us an appointment at Urgent Care. Thankfully our friend Crystal said she could come over and watch Alaina and we took Ky (who still had a fever and was angry about missing his basketball game) with us. At Urgent Care the Doc told us that Talia needed a CT scan of her head. Her puking without warning (she wouldn't cry or anything she would just vomit) was a concern that her bumped head could be more serious. So off we went back to the ER. This time we were more prepared for the long wait. We brought food, games, and our tablet to entertain. After a LONG wait--the doc came and told us that he thought Talia had a concussion--due to her lack of appetite, vomiting, etc...however he wanted us to decide if we really thought a CT scan was necessary. He told us that to give a CT scan to Talia she would have to be sedated and then her brain would be exposed to the equivalent of 200 x-rays. He said the concern with giving CT scans to a child this young is that it increased the chances of cancer and then if she had to have another scan in the future it would further increase things for her. The doc said that the chances of her having a huge bleed that would need to be drained was slim. He also stated that if it was severe we would see other signs--listlessness, being out of it, etc... He said that they may discover a small bleed, but then they would just observe her overnight and release her (somthing we could do at home.) At this point, Rob and I decided to forgo the CT scan. It just didn't seem worth it and we had no indications that it was severe. Once again, the doc said to see an orthopedic doc on Monday if she wasn't walking. From there things calmed down. On Sunday night, Talia crawled a couple of times. On Monday morning, we were immediately called by our clinic and informed that they were trying to get Talia an appointment immediately at the Orthopedic doc. After a whole lot of mumbo jumbo an appointment was made for Tuesday morning. I would like to say that that Tuesday we got answers--but we didn't. Talia had more x-rays done and they did not find anything. The doc said her best guess was that Talia had a non-displaced fracture and that is why they couldn't find anything. She said that toddlers bones heal quickly though and that if she wasn't walking in 10 days - 2 weeks, we should bring her back. Today is day 10. Talia will pull to standing, but not for long before she begins crying. It is clear her leg hurts her. And at this point it is pretty much definite that it must be a facture since a muscle or tendon would not cause this much pain 10 days later. I am hoping she will begin walking in the next few days or we will be returning to the doc (*UGH!*). I have to say that throughout all of this Talia has had a great demeanor (with exception of the last few days. Now I think she is just done and wants to be walking again.) So what have I learned--McD's is evil...well actually I already knew that. I guess this has been a good reminder to me that falls can be worse than they appear. And perhaps Ky just needs to leave Talia alone until she can climb on her own. So that is our exciting last week and a half. I will update Talia's condition in the next blog.  HA HA!!  Next blog---(guess i forgot to publish this one! oops!)  Talia started walking on Day 12!  Yeah!  Below is  video of her walking.  You can see that it hurt her, but she did it.  Now she is just fine!  WHEW!  We are so happy that everything worked out well!

  

Thoughts on the Sandy Hook Aftermath and Moving Forward

I haven’t cried yet. I will soon…Sometimes it just takes time. The tragedy was terrible, awful, horrific. I have a six year old son, I feel the pain. When I sent him to school on Monday I hugged him a little longer—and I changed our daily prayer by adding “Lord, will you please fill my Ky’s class and school with peace. Let them enjoy this day fully.” Afterwards, out of earshot, I asked the Lord to protect him and all the children today. It has been hard, playing the normal when the abnormal has happened. My first responsibility is of course to God—but my second is to my family, and right now my focus lies on protecting him. I don’t feel I need to protect him from any crazy mass murderers. The likelihood of that happening to any one person is slim to none (thank the Lord). However I am currently protecting my son from the news, society, and honestly—I am wondering if I need to be protecting him from some friends and acquaintances. Not to say that they would intentionally hurt my child, but hasty judgments, emotionally driven words, and self-serving decisions are what concerns me. It takes a village to raise a child. These are words to live by, and yet many of us fail to believe that that is our reality. I cannot raise my child alone. I rely on help from friends, family, teachers, doctors, and even strangers. I am becoming scared of this village—not the Adam Lanza’s, but of how our village is reacting to the “Adam Lanzas”. Gun sales were at a record high this past weekend. This scares me. I have heard numerous people tell me that “if only the teachers or the principal had guns this wouldn’t have happened or it wouldn’t have been as bad.” As a school teacher I can only say—what a horrifying thought!? That a gun would be in my (or any) classroom? A gun does not make me feel safe, it only makes me scared that the wrong hands will get it. Many more guns are stolen every year than used to protect someone. And do you think the person stealing that weapon has good intentions with it? Remember, Adam Lanza STOLE those guns from his mother! Which makes me wonder, could this have been prevented if she did not have weapons in her home?! Obviously, no one will ever know if that would have prevented this, but it at least would have been more difficult for him to do this act. One of the mottos in Christianity is WWJD? (What would Jesus do?) I often use this motto to help me figure out what the best solution would be. And I feel it often leads me to the right answer. So let’s put Jesus into the equation at Sandy Hook Elementary. What would have Jesus done at Sandy Hook? Well, I can promise that he would not have had a gun. Jesus was non-violent and never had a weapon. In fact what did he do with crazy people? He called out the demons that were haunting them and healed them. Jesus got to the ROOT of the problem! So how do we get to the root of the problem? It’s complicated, but at the same time I think the solution is quite simple – moral responsibility and village support. It is our responsibility to take care of those who are sick. I understand that many people will not agree with me—but Biblically this cannot be argued. And even if you are not a Christian—the fact is—when people are sick around you it does affect you. Adam Lanza was clearly mentally ill and he affected those in his community—people who did not even know him. Just think of how this could have been changed had his sickness been properly addressed earlier. In my time teaching, I have made numerous reports on children who clearly needed help. Some were given additional help. Others were “lost” in the system. There wasn’t enough time to fit them in the schedule and not enough money to hire more social workers, therapists, etc… Instead we just ignore the signs that something is wrong because we cannot afford to investigate any further into the incident (and often we feel ignoring is an easier solution.) We cannot put a price tag on those lives that were lost on Friday. And yet, we put a price tag on the resources that could have prevented such incidents, saying it is “out of budget.” Today (five days after the incident), I called our local Christian radio station that I listen to daily. I called to ask them to please STOP using the words “shooting at the elementary school” and “deaths of these children” on the radio. I figured it was a very understandable request. Their station motto is “Safe for the Whole Family.” I kept turning the radio station off this past weekend to keep my son from hearing about the incident. He is 6 years old. He should not have to worry about being shot at school and I also feel that he is too young to be exposed to such violence. I found myself arguing with the Radio Host because of his choice in words. He saw the importance of keeping the town lifted in prayer (which I TOTALLY agree with), but he did not feel that he could change the wording. I asked him if he could use the words “tragedy in Connecticut” or even “shooting in Connecticut” but simply PLEASE leave out the words "children" and "school" as my son does not need to be aware of such horrors when he is so young and vulnerable. My moral responsibility to my son is to protect his heart and mind from things that are not good for him. These are formative years and his focus should be on becoming the blessing God has made him to be. My point to this is that our children are exposed too early on to violence. It has become a norm in movies, music, and video games. I know of many people who allow their young children (5 & 6 year olds) to watch PG-13 movies without a second thought. Or allow their children to play violent video games where their mission is to shoot people—and while young ones may not be playing these games, many see their older siblings (or parents) doing it. What’s even scarier is how REAL these games appear! They look like real people and their victims’ blood is splattered by THEIR hands. While these acts are against the law and our beliefs, we let them watch it or play it. How conflicted these young minds must feel!? (And what about those minds that are already mentally unstable!) Morally we have a responsibility to protect our children from these things and yet we don’t. We continue to support companies who produce these violent pieces of media and we say nothing. I am not saying that these things are the cause of this incident--however, I do feel that our lack of village support and moral responsibility to the children in our nation has played a large part. The blood of those children is on Adam Lanza’s hands--yes, but at the same time the blood of Adam Lanza lays in our hands. Perhaps this could have been something we could have prevented through counseling, sheltering, and above all loving. It’s not a simple solution—to go out of our way to help others—to donate time, services, money, attention, and love. But doesn’t it sound like a better solution than carrying around a gun “just in case?” Because carrying a gun just in case is NOT a long-term solution, it is a reaction. At best, more people carrying guns might (and I emphasize “might”) prevent or lessen another tragedy like this, but it does not address the root cause. It will not stop this from happening again with different people. We need some changes and only you and I can make that difference. I know that you are torn by this tragedy, just as I am. All I am asking is that you simply step back and look at the whole picture. The problem is SO much bigger than gun ownership and use. It’s about us and the actions we choose to make toward our family, friends, neighbors, and community moving forward.

Talia's First Birthday

My baby is ONE! ONE! Wow. It really is such a milestone...Now she is no longer considered an infant. Sometimes you get strange looks when you call your one year old your baby (luckily--I can avoid this since Talia has so little hair that she still looks like a bitty baby to me.) Toddler. That's the next phase. Cute, but trouble. Tearing everything a part. Climbing. Screaming. Clueless (not her--me). Pointing, mimicking, running, dancing, singing. Oh,yes--very cute. However, not quite as snuggly because they are so BUSY! so BUSY! and honestly you are so busy cleaning up behind them that you don't have much time for snuggles either. Whew! I am getting exhausted just thinking of the next phase. Well--perhaps I should just relay Talia's first B'day and ignore what is to come. Poor baby girl did not wake up happy on her birthday. She woke up early and cried. We weren't ready to get up. We were tired (probably from being up with kids in the middle of the night). Did I mention Alaina has been waking up every night screaming about her knee. The doc says it is growing pains--and I agree...the pains of her shrill screaming in the middle of the night is growing. And of course that wakes everyone else in the house and now it takes us forever to get everyone back to sleep...oops, I did it again--sidetracked. Back to Talia's b'day. We sang to her and she seemed to cheer up. Alaina however slept through all of our singing. (Probably exhausted from her middle of the night waking.) It was a school day so we had to hurry Ky off to school--however we had plans to pick him up for lunch. Red Robin has become a tradition with our kiddos on their birthdays. At lunch time we picked up Ky and met Daddy at Red Robin. It was a rainy day, which was a bummer, but Talia didn't mind. She enjoyed mooching fries and hamburger off of us--and by far her favorite part was the ice cream sundae. She just stared at the waitstaff as they sang to her--but that sundae she sure eyed up. Talia has a sweet tooth that is dedicated to ice cream--she is DEFINITELY my child. That evening we met with our Lifegroup (church group) at a park and celebrated Talia's b'day & Zac's (friend of Ky's). It had been so unusually warm--but of course on Talia's b'day it had been rainy in the morning and chilly. Despite the cold we enjoyed a picnic lunch and ladybug & spider cupcakes. We sang Happy Birthday to her and she just stared at the cupcake. We put her fingers in it and then she played for a bit. Finally I put some in her mouth and she smiled. She figured it out! The strange blob was YUMMY SUGARY FOOD! She quite enjoyed it after that. That evening we let her open some presents including a shopping cart from us. She loved pushing it around. I would say it was a successful birthday day! Then came the family party that weekend. We had tacos and of course a lady bug 2 tiered cake. The cake didn't quite come out how I would have liked--but she still enjoyed it. In fact, she got her fingers in it when I was trying to take her picture next to it. :) So why did I choose the lady bug theme? Well--at 6 months I got Talia some soft leather-soled shoes with Ladybugs on them. She wore them pretty much everywhere. We also had a cute ladybug hat that we would put on her (that was Alaina's). It just seemed to fit. Talia our little lady bug. I have packed away those shoes--and someday I know I will enjoy pulling them out and remembering her tiny toes and how they were the shoes she learned to walk in. *SIGH* Now I am getting sentimental. Boy--these kids sure grow up quick. I just can't keep up! So that is Talia's 1 year celebration. I have her official weight and stuff in her baby book--but I believe she was only around 18 lbs. My tiny girl (especially since KY & Laina were both 22+ lbs at 1 year). She sits around the 50% for height and weight (Ky & Laina have always been in the 70 - 80%). My prediction is that she will probably always be smaller than her siblings. I guess it just sort of fits--she will always be my baby, so somehow her being a little smaller is a bit comforting to me. Well that's all for now. I am working on catching up on my blog and I promise I will.

April 2012

At the end of March we traveled to Indiana to attend my friend Liz's baby shower and to visit my mom. This time we made sure the DVD player worked--and the trip went wonderfully. Plug in children and drive. Talia did pretty well too. It was wonderful seeing my mom. I really do miss her living so far away. The kids had a blast as well. Poor little Talia came down with a fever Friday night--and that left my mom and I going for a Meijer run at 3:00 in the morning. (Perhaps that is why she slept so well on the way to Indiana....hmmmm...) My mom had scheduled family pictures the next day and poor little Talia cooperated, but was not so happy. (She looks so sad in the pictures.) Liz's shower was wonderful and her baby bump was adorable. Bri (Liz's cousin) came up with a fun game where we cut apart pictures of Liz and Adam and put together what we thought the new baby would look like. I ESPECIALLY enjoyed this part. We has a fun luncheon and the kids got to meet Grandma & Grandpa VH. Alaina especially enjoyed playing with the new paper dolls that Grandma VH gave her. Sunday we attended church with Uncle Joel & Aunt Jamie and then had dinner together afterwards. It was nice to get together again and talk. (Unfortunately, I and Uncle Joel were pretty tired--and I think I fell asleep at some point.) Monday morning we visited our favorite Amish store with my mom. We stocked up on many of our basics (including 50 lbs of whole wheat flour). I love that place. I wish we had stores like that here in Madison. After our "adieu's" we were on our way home. Which we were all happy about (bigger 2 being plugged into the DVD player) except Talia. She cried A LOT. After this return trip home, Talia decided she did not like her carseat very much anymore. (And to this day --July 2nd as I am writing this--she now arches her back and stiffens her body so you have to fight to get her in her carseat.) Poor girl doesn't realize she has many more years yet in a carseat. Rob's birthday followed shortly after. Since we had Lifegroup (our church group) that night for dinner we decided to celebrate Dad's b'day at lunch. Rob came home and we made him a yummy lunch with beer bread and of course a fancy peanut butter chocolate cake. YUM! The kids made some drawings for Daddy and we gave him a coffee mug with the kids pictures on it. I got him a Badger shirt. It was a good day. In the coming week we attended an Easter Egg hunt at our favorite green house. The kids really enjoyed searching for eggs. Even Talia got into the spirit of things. Afterwards they enjoyed petting the horse on the farm next door. On Easter, after attending church we went to Pop's and Debi's. I of course tried to get lots of pictures with the kids all dressed up, but it is near impossible to get all 3 looking at the camera and smiling. Alaina likes to strangle her sister in attempt to get Talia to look--and then she doesn't look and then once we get her to look, Ky will be looking elsewhere because he is bored. UGH! And as you can see from the crying Talia pics, she was just done. Oh, well--at least I tried. Debi had given Rob Brewer tix for Easter day, so we were able to leave Ky & Alaina with them and attend a game with Talia. It was a nice game. Unfortunately, they lost. Talia got lots of attention from people nearby because she is cute--you know--she eyes people up and gives them her cute smile and they are "hers". I have to say, that having a baby you meet more people than you ever would. Too bad people aren't always so friendly. Anyway, while we were at the game the big kids had fun with an Easter hunt at the grandparents house. In fact, I think they were bummed when we came back and said it was time to go. With the warm weather of April (the unusual warm weather), we were outside a lot more than normal. Unfortunately, Talia had an issue with the ground--grass, pavement--it didn't matter. She would cry if you put her down. It was pretty funny. And a little bizarred and worrisome since we were going camping in June. We were pretty excited when we finally did get her to sit down outside and she didn't cry. (Notice that picture!) Kylan had his annual buzz cut. He was pretty excited about it. I was not. I like his hair longer (I think it makes him look younger.) When it is all buzzed off he looks older. He was pretty excited after his cut and kept saying he looked like his friend Owen. Which actually he did--they both have similar hair color and freckles. Alaina's ballet ended in April. She really loved the class and would do dance moves at home. I can't wait until next winter when she can take 4 year old ballet. Anyway, I will be updating with videos of her ballet soon. Stay tuned for the next blog entry which will be Talia's 1st b'day.

Fancy Nancy Party 2012

Yes!  We had so much fun at our Fancy Nancy party--that I do plan to have another one next year.

If you haven't read a Fancy Nancy book--you really should.  She is VERY much like Alaina.  The little girl loves to dress up and has a BIG imagination.  She also LOVES to use big words--which is something I really enjoy in the books.  So I had the idea that we should have a Fancy Nancy Party--afterall--Alaina LOVES to dress up. 

So we invited our playgroup friends and Alaina's best friend Lexi & her sister Cece.  It was to be a luncheon and everyone should dress up!  (Moms included!)  You can dress up fancy or fun--I wore my wedding crinolin with a fancy top.  A lot of the other moms wore fancy dresses from long ago. 

I let Alaina pick hers and was surprised when she chode the black & white number.  Normally she goes MUCH fancier.  But hey--it's her party.  I spent several weeks putting together a menu and party ideas.  I wanted to make it simple finger foods (nothing that would stain clothes) and easy prep.  I planned to use my nice stoneware (aka china) for the kids and wine glasses so they could feel REAL fancy.  And hey--if something got broke--I figured it was worth it--when else should I use the good stuff! :)

To continue with the Fancy Nancy theme, I picked out various themes from her book to keep with the "fanciness".  We had a cake decorating station (Fancy Nancy & The Delectable Cupcakes) a hair salon, a nail decal/tattoo station, a photo area (thanks to my friend Rachel), a dress-up area, and a jewelry area (where the kids could make necklaces).  The kids had a blast.

We welcomed everyone as they came in and got the kids busy with tattoos or making necklaces.  After that was lunch.  I have to say I was very proud of myself and the layout.  Please notice the ice cream cones that I filled with grapes and turned into mini-teacups.  (Thank you Pinterest! :) )  The kids really enjoyed drinking pink milk or "stellar juice* from wine glasses.  A few even told me they weren't allowed to have glass.  (I let them know that today was an exception.)  I do believe a great time was had by all.

It was sad to see everyone go--but as you can see we have lots of great memories from all the pictures.  --

Until next year's Fancy Nancy Party--