Welcome to the Madd House

Ian is 7 and Chase "reads"!

2012-02-10T21:48:00.000-05:00

Oh, my WORD.

Two great things today:
1- Ian turned 7. Holy smokes. I have a seven year old.

...and he is amazing. What an incredible boy he is- kind, patient, loving, smart, funny...hot headed at times, a champion procrastinator, and the best big brother to his "littles".

So, yeah. He had a great day. It started with 7 balloons on his ceiling when he woke up, then a Toaster Strudel (did you know they have a Boston Cream flavor now??!) and hot chocolate breakfast, a new BeyBlade, a half day at school (where he forgot to pass our the $20 of cupcakes that I sent in with him) and finally, Bryan picked him up and took him out to see Star Wars 3D- complete with the biggest tub of popcorn, a hot dog, his very own soda, and 3 boxes of candy.

I have one happy seven-year-old tonight.

2. While the big boys were out, the triplets and I stayed home. The evening was pretty normal, until we sat upstairs in Chase and Zeke's room for bedtime stories. Then two things happened:
a.) all of them sat still and listened to the books.
b.) Chase "read" a book to us!

I know, I know, I know. He wasn't really reading it. But he was showing HUGE pre-reading behaviors. He tracked print, he followed left to right, he said the memorized words, and he reacted to the story. Total awesomeness.

This was the book (which really is quite hilarious):

I caught him on video because he kept reading it over and over again. The video is a little long, and it wasn't his best run-through...but he and Gavin and Zeke are so freaking adorable that it is worth 4 minutes and 30 seconds of your life.

This moment is so important for me, because with Chase- he is just so stubborn and hard headed that I sometimes wonder if anything that we do really sinks in. Yeah, we read a lot to him, and we speak in full sentences with him, and we encourage imaginative play, and try to enforce positive behavior with him...but just by nature, it takes a LOT of repetition to see results. I sometimes wonder if I'm doing the right things, or doing as much as I need to do.

This is a confirmation of the path that we are on. I'm so proud of him...and me, too. And his teachers. We're all pretty awesome.

(365:41) happy 7th birthday Ian!

2012-02-10T06:28:00.001-05:00

(365:40) Ian's 7th birthday eve

2012-02-09T23:46:00.001-05:00

(365:39) bubble brothers

2012-02-08T17:01:00.001-05:00

(365:38) Superman

2012-02-07T18:59:00.001-05:00

(365:36) Superbowl

2012-02-05T19:25:00.001-05:00

Bonus photo: fort building. Or kid jail.

2012-02-04T18:40:00.001-05:00

(365:35) grocery cart collision

2012-02-04T16:41:00.001-05:00

(365:34) at the playground, on a tiny horse

2012-02-03T17:19:00.001-05:00

(365:33) homework helper

2012-02-02T20:23:00.001-05:00

(365:33) bonus, more homework

2012-02-02T19:11:00.001-05:00

(365:32) 5am storytime

2012-02-01T05:26:00.001-05:00

Llama Llama books are their favorites.
Even at way too early in the morning.

(365:31) Smoothie Helper

2012-01-31T22:15:00.001-05:00

Another test, star wars style

2012-01-30T21:47:00.001-05:00

Test, new phone setting

2012-01-30T21:29:00.001-05:00

(365:30) don't tell Ian that Guy had his light saber...

2012-01-30T19:11:00.001-05:00

New House!

2012-01-29T21:18:00.000-05:00

Well, after a couple of bids, some counteroffers and a lot of shopping with our lovely, lovely realtor, Dee...we have an approval from the bank on a home! We will close within 45 days...yes, read: OMG I have to pack up our house and we are actually moving inside of 2 months now. Holy. Crap.

So we ended up with a really great space- a home on a culdesac, with a fenced in yard, a shed, and an enclosed porch. It has 4 bedrooms and 3.5 baths...but we'll use the downstairs bedroom for a playroom/guest room, and Ian and Gavin will be introduced to the wonderful world of sharing a room. They've been so cute having "sleepovers" in Gavin's room on the past few weekends, that I think making the transition to sharing a room all the time won't be that difficult.

We have some work to do- new flooring, pouring a slab in the enclosed patio, and lots and lots of painting...but hopefully we'll be able to bang that all out pretty quickly and start using the busing system for the school that the older boys are in now. That will make afternoons a LOT less hectic for the babysitter.

Speaking of which, our wonderful Mary Poppins nanny is not going to be taking care of the boys anymore. There were some health issues that she was concerned about, so she is going to step back and be our "back up" for emergencies. BUT- with every door closed, another one opens...and my awesome friend Kristin (through the DSAC) will be stepping in to be our new after school nanny. I could NOT be happier- she's completely amazing, and one of my best friends, AND her kids are already friends with mine. And did I mention that she took the boys to My Gym for us while we were in Ukraine? She knows the chaos that is our family and is willingly stepping into it on a regular basis. Answered prayers, I tell you.

So, yeah. Never a dull moment.

Anyone want to rent our house in Monroe? We have great neighbors...! :(

(365:29) Olive Garden, dressed to kill

2012-01-29T12:18:00.001-05:00

(365:28) HOA violation

2012-01-28T17:08:00.001-05:00

(365:27) The most comfortable way to watch TV if you are 2 1/2 yrs old

2012-01-27T17:24:00.000-05:00

Bonus footage of:
*stains on the couch
*Tables and chairs piled with all of the school stuff that was dumped on the way in the door
*Messy computer desk
*Scary red eyes.

(365:26) persuasive writing unit *edited to add picture that you can actually see

2012-01-27T05:49:00.002-05:00

(365:25) Make mine a double.

2012-01-25T21:41:00.001-05:00

(365:24) bus

2012-01-24T19:35:00.001-05:00

An impromptu bus ride from the long term parking lot at the airport turns out to be an adventure and not so much an inconvenience. Plus it ended with a chance to catch up with Willard and Brenda, our missionary friends from Ukraine!

(365:22) Gavin's "Monkey Faceship"

2012-01-22T20:14:00.000-05:00

The Differences Between the Firstborn and the Lastborn

2012-01-21T18:19:00.000-05:00

I think that the birth order studies are so interesting. I really think that there is a behavioral pattern due to birth order.

Take today, for instance.

Ian, when he was Guy's age, really didn't push limits. I mean, yeah, the occasional defiant behavior, but for the most part, if I said something, he listened.

Then, take Guy, who just asked me for a banana. I told him that we were having dinner in a few minutes, and that he needed to wait on the banana. I went back to what I was doing, and 3 minutes later he stands next to me and says, "Hey, Mommy! Look!" And I turn around, and he's standing there with a banana, looking straight at me as he opens it, peels it, and takes a bite. All with a little smirk on his face.

It's so weird. It's defiant, yes, but not in a malicious way. It's like he needs to show his independence or something- he wants to show off how big he is, or that he can do things all by himself, whether we like it or not. And he also knows that he is incredibly cute when he does it.

Admittedly, it's a lot of my fault. I give in a lot, but many times I let him get away with it because I initially thought he wasn't able to do something on his own, and it turns out that he can...so why make a big deal about it?

Anyway. I'm not really going anywhere with this. I just think it's interesting.

(365:20) new boots

2012-01-21T08:18:00.001-05:00

(365:21) Gamer Chase

2012-01-21T08:17:00.001-05:00

Guyisms

2012-01-21T07:52:00.000-05:00

Me: Gavin, you are a smart cookie!
G: I'm not a cookie! I'm a Guy-Guy!

As I was looking up a recipe on the computer:
G: Move, Mommy! I wanna see da muffins on da poo-dah!

G: I want some more mints.
Me: Mints? Where did you get mints?
G: No, more mints. (then shows me his empty bowl of almonds he was eating- al-mints)

(365:19) superman

2012-01-19T21:16:00.001-05:00

(365:18) cheat, this was from Saturday.

2012-01-19T05:15:00.002-05:00

But this SO exemplifies Chase's energy!

(365:16) fruit kabobs

2012-01-16T08:33:00.001-05:00

365- kind of 15, but I took this yesterday.

2012-01-15T22:14:00.000-05:00

It's a three day weekend, which I love. Weekends aren't long enough. Ever.

Bryan and Gavin have been sick- Gavin bounced back fast, but Bryan has been hit kind of hard. He's spent the last couple mornings getting some extra sleep...which brings me to one of my favorite times of the day: breakfast.

The past few mornings have been SO nice...all the kids have been happy, helpful, and wanting to participate in making breakfast. That sounds like a fairy-tale, I know. But seriously, I think that the mornings are their absolute best times. They are all just happy to be awake and home-- I love that.

We've made oatmeal and a couple different kinds of muffins. They gather all their chairs around the kitchen island to "help", sometimes I have to rearrange everyone so that I can get in there, too. Gavin tends to dump the dry ingredients the wrong way, which results in a snow-covered counter most of the time. Zeke loves to pour things in, and Chase and Ian are partial to licking the bowl.

Zeke and Gavin almost always wait by the oven to watch their creations as they bake (hats are only a fashion statement. We DO have the heat on!).

It's a happy time. If I have to be up before 6am, this is the way to do it.
(*sidenote, I've been better about loading my coffee pot before I go to bed at night. It makes mornings a bazillion times easier!)

(365:14) My Gym Chase

2012-01-14T11:36:00.001-05:00

(365:13) Stomach bug, victim #2

2012-01-13T16:25:00.001-05:00

(365:11) Chase puts himself in time out

2012-01-11T17:51:00.001-05:00

Disclaimer, I do not put my kids in a small box for punishment. Chase chose to fold himself up here.

Evening to myself

2012-01-10T20:32:00.001-05:00

(365:9) Guy goes to the dentist

2012-01-09T18:36:00.001-05:00

And gets a full cleaning, xrays, and thus cool shirt...just like a big boy.

Incidentally, Zeke also had a cleaning with no problems, as did Ian.

Chase was the only one that I had to physically restrain. Sigh.

But, all in all, 4 boys at the dentist really wasn't too bad!

PS- no cavities for anyone!

(365:8) Tebow

2012-01-08T18:19:00.001-05:00

(365:7) date night

2012-01-07T18:52:00.002-05:00

(365;6) Acorn hunting

2012-01-06T21:32:00.002-05:00

(365:5) Rummikub, Ian's special time

2012-01-05T19:19:00.001-05:00

(365:4) Ice Cream Makes Everything Better

2012-01-04T19:26:00.000-05:00

Cranky, crazy kids today. Promises of ice cream make everyone happy.

(365:3) 1 Little Monkey Jumping on the Bed

2012-01-03T20:47:00.000-05:00

(365; 2 ) Resolution

2012-01-02T19:19:00.002-05:00

(365;2) Mosaic Mysteries

2012-01-01T13:58:00.003-05:00

Carolina Christmas at the Speedway

2011-12-28T22:58:00.000-05:00

We took a trip to the Charlotte Motor Speedway Monday night to catch the Carolina Christmas light show...we went last year and the kids loved it.

This year, it was a little harder to get to because of the kids' surgeries and such...we weren't that good at spending any time away from the house...but we didn't want to miss it. So, even though Santa has come and gone at our house, we piled into the swagger wagon and headed out before they closed (Dec 31st- you still have a couple days to get there!)

Even though the boys loved the live Bethlehem village, the Christmas trees, Santa's workshop, making s'mores outside at the fire pits, and visiting Santa last year, we just couldn't swing all of that this year, BUT we did drive around the track and ooh-ed and ahhh-ed at the light displays.

Admittedly, some of the oohs and ahhs were because Bryan was driving as high up on the banks of the racetrack as he was allowed to. Gavin kept saying, "Daddy! The car is falling over!" Dude- those things are steep.

We stopped at the entrance to watch the billboard, because a little elf told me that our Ian was featured on one of the advertisements up there...but we didn't see him. Wondering if they took that photo down because it featured Ian with Santa and it was after Christmas? I don't know. But you can still see him here on the website (just wait patiently as the top header flips through the different slides to see him). Isn't he the cutest?!

Next year we will definitely plan a time to go when we can take advantage of all the great Christmas-y fun off of the track (because they really do have a most excellent Santa there).

In which Gavin ignores the concept of personal space.

2011-12-27T23:15:00.001-05:00

More Christmas Maddness

2011-12-25T21:18:00.000-05:00

More Christmas photo dump:

I gotta hit up the sales tomorrow to find more LED lights. I love them on the house:

'Twas the night before Christmas, and the house was all clean...:

Ian woke us up at 2:15am, and said, "Mommy? Santa already came! Is it time to get up yet?" I told him no, it was the middle of the night...please go back to bed. Ten minutes later he came in again, asking if it was time to get up. I told him no, that he could wake us up at 7. He came in our room again at 5am, saying that he couldn't find his watch and didn't know what time it was, and could he PLEASE go downstairs and just LOOK in his stocking and FEEL the present that Santa left for him? He came back in, quite sure that the present contained the skateboard that he wanted, and that there was Chapstick in his stocking. He spent the next 2 hours tossing and turning in our bed with us, until finally we let him get up and wake the rest of the house up :)

I love this. Zeke in his own chair, with his own stocking, in his own new Christmas pajamas, in his OWN home, with his OWN family on Christmas morning.

Gavin had a very monkey Christmas. And he also got Chapstick in his stocking.

Hahaha! :)

Chase: Dudes. I will look at my stocking as soon as I finish my milk here, k?

Gavin has a Barrel of Monkeys, of course! Zeke: What else is in this thing??

Four boys :) Imagine, last Christmas Bryan and I were just making the decision to adopt Zeke...and here he is today.

This is the role Ian's been waiting for all his life:

Yes, if you are wondering, that is Grandma Maddex's coffee cake we are eating. Uh-huh.

Taking a break from Christmas for a little leaf and rock throwing.

Guy wanted a "monkey present" from Santa. He got this sweatshirt. Love it :)

Yep, I married my dad.

Ian is so freaking cute on his new skateboard from Santa.

And now that the Razor scooter is free, Gavin is taking it up.

Walking off some of the coffee cake:

I can't even caption this one:

After a very very busy day, filled with food and sweets, presents, playtime, movies, and family...the boys just couldn't go to bed. This is how I found Gavin an hour after I read him a story and tucked him in:

And this is how I found the twins (sitting next to the door in their room):

And Bryan and Ian camped on the couch with their new games:

Merry Christmas, everyone! Hope everyone's holiday was as good as ours was :)

Christmas Morning Pics on Google Plus

2011-12-25T15:43:00.002-05:00

You can peek at our morning here:

https://plus.google.com/photos/106001070168373370293/albums/5690145742589441825

Surgery Updates

2011-12-25T15:43:00.000-05:00

I realized in the pre-Christmas flurry, I forgot to post an update on the boys' surgeries.

They are both doing very very well :)

Zeke is sore, but is healing well. We're still trying to get him to slow down a little (for example, do NOT climb on to the back of the couch and straddle it like you are riding a horse, and then crash down onto the cushions a bazillion times-- even if your brothers are doing it and it looks like loads of fun). He hasn't had any pain meds for 2 days now and isn't complaining, so we know he must be feeling better.

Both Zeke and Chase went in for ear tubes on Friday morning. I took them at 5am for 7:30 and 8am appointments with the ENT. They were super helpful, and I was able to juggle both of them in and out of surgery. It was especially helpful to have a friend of mine from the boys' PTA at Waxhaw as our nurse.

Zeke's right ear was especially nasty, the doctor said. I'm sure that he will feel some relief in the next week with the tubes inserted. Chase's ears were all gunked up with wax- I still can't figure out a way to clean them in regular life- he has such tiny ear canals, it's hard to get in there. Even the ear wax kits don't help a lot- anyone have any great suggestions for that? Gross.

Now all I have to do is remember to put drops in their ears for 3 days...and wrestle Chase while doing so.

With all of that nonsense done, hopefully we can get out and have some fun next week for our last week of vacation. My Gym is open for free-play days all week, so I'll probably take everyone over there a couple times. And with this gorgeous weather, maybe we'll hit up the park outside, too.

Thanks for all your thoughts, everyone! This has been a crazy week.

Silent night

2011-12-24T22:53:00.001-05:00

And to all a good night!

Child labor

2011-12-22T11:06:00.000-05:00

I hardly have to do any of the baking now, I gave such able helpers!

PS- why are all my phone pictures turning out so crappy?

How to keep 4 boys busy on vacation:

2011-12-21T09:39:00.001-05:00

Make slime.

Ianism- Snitch

2011-12-20T22:39:00.001-05:00

Last night Snitch had to be cut free from the ropes that the Lego guys captured him with (long story), and there was a pair of big heavy scissors left on the ground.

Bryan asked Ian if he thought Snitch used the big heavy scissors himself.

Ian: no, I think he just asked a big strong Lego guy to do it for him.

Let The Holidays Begin! Plus BONUS funny random comments by strangers...

2011-12-19T21:32:00.000-05:00

Today was my last day of work before a 2 week break. I love my job, but can I get a WOOT WOOT!

We made it through 2 1/2 months of a new family, a new job, and no time to breathe through the transitions.

*sigh*

We celebrated with a trip to see Santa at the mall. I think we may have overwhelmed him. His comment was, "Are they all yours?" I'm getting used to that one. I hear it a lot now. The boys were kind of hilarious with their Santa visit. Guy was ALL pumped up, but when Santa put him on his knee, he had a CLASSIC deer-in-the-headlights look- I thought his eyes were going to pop out of his head. Ian and Zeke stood close and went in for the high five, but that was all they trusted the big SC with. I asked Ian later if he thought that was the real Santa or a helper, and he said, "That was the real one. I got a good, close look at him." Chase nonchalantly walked by, and continued on to dive into the cotton snow on the other side of Santa's chair. He came back for the goodbyes and the candy canes, though.

I'm totally looking forward to some time with the kids- I have some cookies and some crafts, some science experiments for my little Mr. Wizard, and some new therapy stuff to try (hello oral motor therapy and sensory brushing techniques that I should have started 5 months ago).

Oh, and you know, the surgeries that begin tomorrow at 10am (Zeke) and then again on Friday at 8am (Chase and Zeke-ears). Second fun comment: the OR scheduler asked me if Zeke and Chase were twins, but just born on different days. Um, no. I was not in labor for 5 days. Hope they both recover quickly and have time to enjoy the break with the rest of us :/

Runner up funny comment: the receptionist who keeps calling to remind me of upcoming ENT appointments keeps calling Zeke, "Zeekey". Come on, lady! It's vowel-consonant-vowel! The silent e makes the first vowel say it's name! Classic phonics, people!

Family of 6 Photos :)

2011-12-15T22:36:00.000-05:00

And a post for Gavin

2011-12-12T20:09:00.000-05:00

...who had to learn the lesson about pee-peeing before you get in bed tonight.

Every single dang night I take him to the bathroom, he pees, we put him in a diaper for overnight, get him into his jammies, read stories, and then tuck him into bed.

And then 10 seconds after I turn out the lights and shut the door, he starts crying because he "has to go pee-PEEEEEE!"

So then I give in, and get him out of bed, and we take his jammies off, and his diaper, and he gets 6 more minutes of bedtime-free day before he has to go to bed again.

Tonight, though, I made him do one last potty stop after story and before lights out. I told him lots of times that this was his last potty stop of the day, and that he would not be getting out of bed to go pee-pee. He agreed.

And then I kissed him goodnight, turned off the light, and closed the door.

Ten seconds later he started yelling that he needed to go pee-PEEEEEEE!!!

Nope. Sorry dude.

I did the Super Nanny thing, and let him be irate for a few minutes, then went in and firmly told him that he already went pee-pee, and we were done with that for the night. Then I told him there was no crying at bedtime.

Every time I say that, I think of Tom Hanks in A League of Their Own.

Anyway. He went to sleep. And that is that.

Chasey Chasey Smartie Facey

2011-12-12T20:01:00.000-05:00

So, the other day, Ms. Santana sends a note home that says Chase can receptively ID all the letters of the alphabet. Seriously?

I mean, not that we haven't tried. He just hates that stuff. He has zero attention span for any of that "learning nonsense".

But yesterday, he got really into that V-tech bike game, you know, the one that you pedal and you pick up certain letters of the alphabet on a course on the TV? Yeah, not only did he pedal the bike, but he called out the letters correctly as he rode.

I'm not even joking here, people.

And since then, when we read stories at night, Bryan and I have been asking the kids to point to random letters on the pages. He gets them right, a LOT. The best one is when he identifies the letter R, because he sounds like a pirate. "What's that, Chasey?" "Arrrrrrrrrr!"

Have I mentioned how much I love his preschool teachers? Like LOVE them, love them.

Ian, Just Because

2011-12-12T19:47:00.002-05:00

Kelsey sent me this photo she took of Ian last month.

He totally melts my heart.

End of the Year Insurance Spending Spree

2011-12-12T19:33:00.000-05:00

I'd love for it all to be about eggnog and Christmas lights right now...but reality is kind of slapping us in the face this year, and we're all about the end of year "get everything taken care of because you've met your deductible" spending.

I've had to leave work early so many afternoons to get glasses, exams, therapy consults, IEP meetings, and pre-operative visits (not to mention the pink-eye fake out that Chase pulled on me last week) done that my principal asked me today how many more times I was planning on leaving at 1:30. Um, no more- I hope. I'm not sure what else we can fit in. It's not that I'm trying to miss work, I'm just trying to miss as little of it as possible while still getting everything taken care of before it costs me a million dollars in January.

Chase and Zeke are getting more than LeapFrog learning toys this year. They are also going to be getting their very own sets of ear tubes!! This should cut down on the ear infections (2 since we've been home, I think...?) and luckily for us, they've been able to keep their adenoids from getting too inflamed, and they aren't causing problems, so they will NOT be getting surgery for adenoids along with the tubes.

Zeke will also be getting some exploratory surgery down there. Seems there is an undescended part (No! I can't type it out on my blog!) and we're going to go ahead and get that found and pulled down where it is supposed to be so that he doesn't end up with a hernia situation.

Do you think if we put shiny bows and jingle bells all over that they will forgive us for these Christmas gifts?

Bye-EEEE. I'n goin' to work...!

2011-12-11T17:42:00.000-05:00

Guy told me that he was going to work this evening. This is apparently his uniform:

Not long after, Zeke also decided to go to work, as well:

Obviously, they work in different departments.

Christmas Concert and the Great Glasses Caper

2011-12-06T22:06:00.000-05:00

Did anyone else notice that it was December already? Holy hell.

You can tell the holidays are coming by the school performances. The first grade had their big performance tonight, and Ian was super excited because he "gets to stand on the top risers on the stage." Also noteworthy: "If you are bad, you will get tapped on the shoulder and you will have to sit behind the curtain for the WHOLE show."

We heard a lovely rendition of Jingle Bells, as well as several fun songs with all sorts of hand gestures that nearly knocked children off of the said risers. Love it.

Zeke loved it so much that he fell dead asleep on Bryan's lap...BUT whenever he heard clapping, he totally "sleep-clapped" with everyone else. Hilarious.

Gavin found a little round-faced blonde girlfriend who followed him around in the aisles.

Chase played games on my phone, but stopped to clap with gusto after every song.

******************************************************

Info on the Great Glasses Caper: Zeke loves his new glasses, and takes really good care of them. Except that he left them in Mary Poppins' car yesterday. I thought they were lost at school, but they are actually just misplaced. No worries.

However, Mr. Chase is another story. We finally got his glasses back from Walmart after replacing the frames and one of the lenses...and today in his backpack I find a pair of glasses...just frames. No lenses. The little stinker figured out how to pop the lenses out of the frames, and DID so at school...and then HID the lenses. Seriously. I can't make this stuff up, people.

On the plus side, Chase's OT skills are improving.

Running List

2011-12-04T22:06:00.000-05:00

Maybe I'll just make all my blog entries into running lists. Who has time to write out a complete thought anymore??

1- I still have to post about Thanksgiving. Short story- a lovely time. Scott and Rachel came up from Florida, my Aunt Deb and Uncle Tom came out of their cabin in Concord to join us, and my mom and dad were here (as they always should be). We went in potluck style, and ended up with quite the spread, and zero guilt about making one person do everything. That is the bonus of having so many awesome cooks in the family.

Rachel, of course, got a stomach bug on Thanksgiving morning. Because we always make her sick every time she visits.

**Included in our Thanksgiving festivities was a Skype call to Zeke's birth parents. We had to do the charade thing, which is a hundred times harder via the Internet than it is in person...but when we finally figured out how to use the chat option and translate it though Google, it worked out pretty well. It was nice to see them, and I think Zeke was happy to see them, too. It was a little tough because he had to be woken up from nap to come to the computer, so I don't think that he was his normal high energy level that we know, but it was good all the same. He got to show them his school projects and his favorite toys, and of course, his brothers. Fun stuff.

2- Bryan and I and Ian completed our first 5K together yesterday! So, we ran maybe a 1/2 mile...and we were pushing Larry, Moe, and Curly in the strollers (which, btw, our double jogger is not doing so well. Now we have to decide if we are committing to this running-thing or not...because I don't want to spend money on a double jogger that will sit in my garage for months...years...gah.)

We completed the "run" in 51 minutes (Bryan, Chase and Zeke) and just under 54 minutes (Laurie, Ian, and Gavin). Ian complained for about 15 minutes of the whole run, and then only sporadically for the other 35 minutes. BUT he was super stoked at the end when we ran across the finish line.

Best story about the run: Gavin rode the whole time, taking a nap for the last half of it. When we finished, I got him out of the stroller, and he immediately peed his pants. Oops :/ I totally hadn't taken him to the bathroom from the time that we left the house (6:15am) until after we stopped (9:15am). #1 mom!

3- Speaking of running...I'm going to start coaching Girls on the Run at school in January. Let's just say we'll all be learning together... :)

4- Christmas is up at the house! Tree is up, lights are up, wreath on the door, nativity lovingly set up by Ian, and our Elf on the Shelf has been up to No Good for several days now.

10 more days until Christmas break! Woo-hoooo!

5- We made an offer on a house in Waxhaw. They accepted it, and now it's waiting for the bank approval and all sorts of other legal things because it is a short sale. Now I'm in this limbo phase, where I don't want to do anything further to the house (like put up a 4th hook for Zeke's backpack and towel) but I'm not ready to pack anything, because it will be a while until we are ready to move...oh, and because of my latest addiction to Pinterest, I have about a billion ideas of things that I'd like to do. So, you know, that's fun.

6- Bryan and I had a date night last night. First time since we've been home. We found some amazing new babysitters from church, and now when Gray and Garret come to sit, the kids are so happy to see them that they don't even notice that we leave.

We did dinner...and some shopping. And we sat on some furniture that was on display because we were so tired, but we didn't want to come home because we were afraid the boys wouldn't be in bed yet- lol! Wild. It was nice to connect, though. Also nice to be out at a restaurant that served drinks with ice in them.

That's all. It's time for me to get to bed too late now :)

Zeke- IEP

2011-11-29T22:32:00.000-05:00

Quick update, because frankly I'm exhausted and possibly spent all my time this evening chatting with the lovely Tiffany Larsen and browsing Pinterest...

But I went to Zeke's eligibility and IEP meeting today and I wanted to jot some thoughts down.

1- The intake team in our county is AWESOME. They are positive, they are personal, and they know their stuff. I'm so lucky that we happened to plop ourselves down in Union County when we moved here.

2- Zeke is a charmer. He has all of those ladies cooing after him and giggling, talking about him after he leaves, and even following his story in the paper and on our blogs (hey assessment team ladies!)

3- Zeke is "significantly delayed" in all areas...with the caveat that it is hard to get an accurate assessment due to his past and the transitions that he is making now.

I'm trying to write out my feelings on this here and I've rewritten it several times now...the thing is, hearing that he was "significantly delayed" didn't hurt my feelings this time, like it did at Chase's first IEP. And it's not that I don't care...it's just that I feel like I've turned a corner with acceptance. No, I don't like hearing that Z is behind...but I knew it was coming, and I also knew that he's in a place where he'll grow into the skills that he is missing. I know I'll feel the same way when we get to Chase's IEP meeting this year. We're still pushing, we're still working...we still have high expectations...but I guess it's just more of a clarity thing: this is where we are (and that's okay)...here is where we're going...and this is how we'll get there.

Fine. Awesome. Let's get a move on.

4- Zeke will get speech twice weekly for 30 minutes, and PT and OT 3x/month. I'm good with all that.

5- At home, we'll just continue doing what we do...playing outside, running, jumping, riding bikes (ok, trying to convince certain 4 year olds that bikes are fun), reading books, playdough, coloring, naming objects in play...and looking into more options when things calm down a bit (HA!). No really- I want to try them both in hippotherapy...someday. I do. Really.

6- He'll stay in the same class he's in now with Chase, which is totally perfect. He loves it there.

The end.

Welcome to the Rest of Your Life...

2011-11-29T16:46:00.000-05:00

Today the boys were sitting at the table doing stamps. Ian dropped something on the floor and was picking it up, then Gavin got down and walked around him to get something...bumping Ian on the way.

Ian: "OOWWWWWW! GUY!"

Guy: "I'N NOT TOUCHIN' YOU!"

...and the official brotherly arguing begins...

Ianisms- Ornaments

2011-11-25T20:59:00.000-05:00

Decorating the tree:

Mom, this is the most beautimous ornament. I am SO letting you put this one on.

Ian- reading

2011-11-21T21:14:00.000-05:00

In the last week, Ian has started to get that reading spark. He's been able to read for a while, but never really cared all that much about it outside of school. Reading was just a task to do in the classroom, although he's always loved listening to stories.

But this week something finally clicked. Maybe he turned the corner in his skills and was able to read books that are more interesting to him...maybe he just had that epiphany that I've been waiting for him to have...

He's finally getting that concept of becoming lost in a book, of looking forward to time when it's quiet and he can sit down and become engrossed in a story.

He's reading some Star Wars book, which, you know, isn't my first choice for reading, but if he loves it and doesn't want to turn out the light at night...so be it.

He's going to kill me for writing this later on...but tonight he was sitting on the toilet for a *long* stop, and I knocked on the door and told him that next time he should bring a book in there to read. He was completely aghast at the idea, until I told him that he comes from a long line of men who routinely read in the bathroom. He thought that was both hilarious and intriguing. I'm betting that tomorrow I will see some Star Wars related reading material next to the potty.

Lather, Rinse, Repeat

2011-11-21T20:09:00.000-05:00

I'm not gonna lie, the days have been kind of smooshing together here. Early wake-ups, off to school/work, home from school/work, dinner, baths, bedtimes.

Sure, scattered within that pattern are sleepy smiles, gigantic poopy diapers and an angry butt rash, Gavin instigating trouble wherever and with whomever he is...there are bedtime stories and splashing in the tub, and endless Itsy Bitsy Spider songs sung over and over and over again in the car.

There are crafts from school, little cotton ball sheep glued onto toilet paper rolls...then there are the mounds of toilet paper that someone (ahem, Zeke or Guy) feels the need to unroll every time they are left alone in the bathroom.

It's life, and it's going by in fast forward right now. I have all these ideas that I want to do with Chase and Zeke. I have flashcards and reading programs, daily conversation journals and photo books. I have really really good intentions, but not enough hours in the day to execute any of it.

I don't really know what the point of this is. Just that we're happy, but busy (which I feel like I say all.the.time.) Things are good...but hooo-eeeee am I ready for a few days off from work to be home and enjoy my family.

Follow Up Observer Story

2011-11-14T05:53:00.002-05:00

Here's the culmination of our adoption story in the local paper.
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/11/13/2764012/ukraine-to-monroe-a-journey-of.html
I love the last line. :)

Random

2011-11-11T21:21:00.000-05:00

What we've been up to:

1- Zeke has new glasses! Well, we have the back-up pair from Zenni Optical (super cheap, quick and easy). They don't fit great (darn those cute little ears and that flat nose bridge!) but hopefully the good ones (which we still have to pick up from the optometrist) will fit better. Zeke likes wearing them, and he frequently looks through them, then takes them off and looks again, and then puts them back on again and giggles. What a difference it must be to actually be able to see things clearly now.

(you're singing this now, too- aren't you??)

2- Also in Zeke news, we had his second hearing screening today. He is showing some mild hearing loss, but we can't figure out if it is because of some fluid that is in his ears, or he's just not fully cooperating with the screener. We're going back in a month to see if the ENT thinks we should do tube (and with tubes, take out his adenoids, as well.)

3- Chase is also a candidate for tubes and adenoids. Wonder if we can get a BOGO deal...?

4- Guy is pretty much fully potty trained. Ask him to see his "unnerwear". He loves to show it off.

5- Have I mentioned how much I love Ian's 1st grade class/teacher? He is doing super good, and has a couple friends in his class from last year. He and Mitch apparently are the scientists of the class, and have been writing up plans to have a science business. Mitch came over to our house on Thursday evening, and the activities included 1) dissecting our nasty moldy jack-o-lantern and then subsequently throwing the pieces into the creek, 2) making a giant mess with vinegar and baking soda, and raw eggs and saltwater in my kitchen, and 3) several Bey Blade tournaments.

6- Work is good. I like wearing big girl clothes every day.

7- Guy is kind of amazing. I asked Ian how school was the other day, and Gavin chimes in, "Ask me about MY school, Mommy!" And so I asked him how his school was today, and he told me this big long story about how Baby Reese was there today, and he crawled around on the floor, and he also ran around, and he took Guy's shoe and sock and tried to eat them. A whole story! From my 2 year old! I think I forgot about this whole typically developing language explosion around this age. It's incredible.

That is all.

Guyism- Button

2011-11-09T17:27:00.000-05:00

Potty training is going pretty awesome with our little Guy. He's dry all day long at school, tells us when he needs to go, and most of the time wakes up dry (but sleeping is hit or miss, so diapers at nap and bedtime).

It's a kind of great affirmation that indeed, I am capable of potty training a child, as I was beginning to lose confidence because of Chase's outright refusal to go.

But the cutest thing- after he has used the bathroom, and has pulled up his pants, he'll Chase me around the house saying, "Mommy! Push my button!" until I stop to button his pants back up.

R-Word PSA Starring Ian and Zeke :)

2011-11-07T22:24:00.000-05:00

Our favorite babysitter Kelsey is in grad school now for media-something or another, and came over 2 weeks ago with her group and a Honda CRV full of video equipment to shoot footage for a public service announcement for the Spread the Word to End the Word campaign.

Here is the final product (I think it's pretty awesome).

And honestly, people. Stop dropping the r-word all over the place! And hello- I know that language is a habit, so maybe you are trying to stop saying it, but it slips every once in a while. If that happens, back up and apologize. I've had 2 very close friends do that- it comes out, they realize it, and they feel badly about it. Let me tell you- those that own up to it and have a conversation about it have my total respect, because I know that they are making an effort.

Anyway. Thanks, Kelsey...for using your media powers for good :)

Friends Reunited

2011-11-06T21:56:00.000-05:00

Even though we met a bunch of really awesome people in Ukraine, we missed so very much our friends here in Charlotte.

We spent this weekend catching up with a few couples that we hadn't had a chance to meet up with since we've been back, and it was so, so nice.

I love that we've made a home and an extended family out here. I love game nights and park picnics and laughing so hard that my sides hurt. I love that my kids have friends that they can count on...that Ian can either pick up and chase Emily around in the fall leaves or play Legos with Colin until well after midnight in hushed voices and the occasional shriek of laughter.

Happy to be back :)

Guyism- prayer

2011-11-04T17:21:00.000-04:00

After I said the blessing at the dinner table, we started eating. All of us except Gavin, who grabbed Zeke's hand and felt moved to give another blessing before he began. He said:

Heavenly Father,
Thank you and bless our food.
AAAA-men.

My Gym

2011-11-03T20:45:00.000-04:00

I totally love this place for the kids. They have a blast.

But, DANG it is hard to get there now!

This is how it generally goes:

1. Convince Ian to do his homework before leaving. Listen to ten thousand things that he decides he must do before he starts said homework, reiterate ten thousand and one times that he needs to do his homework before leaving.

2. Buckle Guy and Chase in the car in the car.

3. Go back inside and remind Ian to finish his homework and put his shoes on.

3. Put Zeke on the toilet.

4. Bring Zeke to the car.

5. Realize that Chase needs to be changed.

6. Unbuckle Chase and take him inside to be changed.

7. Remind Ian to put his shoes on.

8. Buckle Chase in again.

9. Guy says he needs to poop.

10. Bring Guy inside to sit on the potty, leave Chase and Zeke buckled in the car with their snacks.

11. Firmly tell Ian that he needs to get his shoes on and get out to the car.

12. Get Guy in the bathroom, where he insists on taking everything below the waist completely off in order to sit on the potty.

13. Guy sits down for exactly 3 milliseconds before deciding that he doesn't really need to go anyhow.

14. Get Guy dressed (again) and bring him out to the car, where...

15. Chase has wriggled out of his seatbelt and is now sitting in the driver's seat, pushing all the buttons and turning on all the lights and wipers.

16. Threaten Ian that you are leaving without him if he doesn't get his little blonde heiney out to the car RIGHT NOW, SIR!

17. Buckle Chase in.

18. ...where are Chase's glasses?!?!?!?

19. Ian, who has decided to bless us with his presence, redeems himself by finding Chase's glasses.

20. And we're off.

21. Except I left all the drinks sitting on the counter, so I pull back into the driveway to run into the house to get them.

22. Say, "Hands to yourselves" fifty bazillion times over the next 25 minutes.

23. Make it to My Gym 4 minutes late.

24. Tag Bryan in (he meets us there after work) and breathe a sigh of relief.

$5,000 for our school

2011-11-02T20:27:00.001-04:00

Can all you internets do me a solid?

1. Would you LIKE this page Metro Honda of Union County on Facebook?

2. And then LIKE this photo of the boys' school (Waxhaw Elementary)?

Wouldn't it be awesome if I could say, "Uh, yeah...you're welcome for the fifty bazillion votes from my blog!" It might make up for my complete disappearance from the PTA this year...

Thanks a bunch!

(and come on! it takes like a minute and a half- quitcherbitchin!.)

Guyism

2011-11-02T20:15:00.000-04:00

When Guy wants to see something he says, "Gimme see!"

"Gimme see that book."

"Gimme see those unnerwares."

"Gimme see that punkin."

On a related note, he is getting very, very demanding.

On another related note, Tiffany's sister Nellie (who is awesome just like Tiff) had a baby today...and she named him Gavin! Eeeee! What a compliment :) Happy baby day, Nellie!

31 for 21, Bonus Photo of the New Normal

2011-10-31T20:58:00.000-04:00

31 for 21, Acceptance

2011-10-31T20:51:00.000-04:00

This post is for the mother of a child with Down syndrome...maybe you just got your child's diagnosis. Maybe you got it a while ago and are just now ready to search the internet for more information.

I just want you to know that I felt like you do once.

Like a billion years ago (or was that just 4?) I thought life would never be the same. And I was right. It hasn't been the same.

But who wants life to stay the same? Staying the same means you're not growing. Life isn't about never changing. Right after Chase was born, if someone had told me that, I would have said, "!*&**! you and your growing- I like the same, the usual, the boring.

I just didn't know how good different could be.

I searched the internet to find moms with blogs about life with Down syndrome. How different is it? What can I expect? What am I in for?

So, if you are searching, and you find this: It's okay. It's gonna be ok. It's gonna be great, in fact. You'll see.

Happy 31 for 21 :)

31 for 21, Halloween Preview

2011-10-30T22:10:00.000-04:00

Went to our first Trunk-or-Treat (at Elevation) ever tonight. The kids did really really well, even though it was pretty crowded.

...a "kick" line...HA!

Our family + a random church member wearing a soccer ball mask :)

Zeke was losing steam about halfway through- so he got a ride :)

I love his smile.

Guy was so excited to say Trick or Treat...and the costumes and the crazy trunks didn't phase him a bit. In fact, one car had a giant spider on top of it, and we had to go visit it twice for him.

The goods!

I didn't have to call any fouls.

Thank you, 4 years of playing soccer for the costumes this year :)

Tired boys ready for bed. Oh, and candy. Ready for candy and bed.

Everyone decorated their trunks with different themes- there was a Dr. Suess one with Thing One and Thing Two, a couple pirate ones, a CSI SUV, a hippie van, and like 60 others. One of our babysitters did his up as a giant mouth with big teeth and dry ice breath coming out :) So fun!

Kinda strange note: Someone had 2 firepits going, and for some reason that freaked Zeke out. He kept pointing to the smoke and whimpering. Weird.

31 for 21, Jack-O-Lantern

2011-10-30T21:52:00.000-04:00

Ian carved our pumpkin this year. The others missed out, and I feel bad about that. Except that they would have liked it for 30 seconds before moving on to another activity. We did it at nap time today, so Ian got to take his time and have our undivided attention. That's nice, too.

He made me take this photo, and then told me, "Type next to it: This is when he got slime on his hands."

31 for 21, Puzzles

2011-10-29T22:00:00.000-04:00

Sorry, 31 for 21. I've been busy doing this stuff when I'm home now, and slacking on the blog.

It's worth it :)

31 for 21, General

2011-10-26T21:36:00.000-04:00

General goings-on:

Working and being a mom is HARD. Especially when you're a teacher and don't clock out and leave everything behind at your job. The last time I worked, I had one very tiny kid, and even that was only for a month before I gave up. I'm trying really really really hard to find a balance. So far I've tried staying up late and getting up early. I'm very very tired.
Zeke has been sick this week, and on a ton of meds. Some for his poop cooties (thank you, Ukrainian orphanage) and some for an ear infection and croup. The poop cootie meds are especially disgusting, and I think that they are not only causing him to completely clean out his whole system, but also make his throat sore. Last day for meds is on Saturday, so that will be a real treat to not have to make him hate us 3x a day.
Chase is so freaking cute. AND I know where both pairs of his glasses are.
Speaking of glasses, I have to order some for Zeke. I'm thinking about going with Zenni, but am not sure about using them for his first pair because of fitting and such. Although, they have this pair that I am completely in love with.

Gavin is doing really well in his preschool. His favorite part of the day is when he gets to wash his hands in the little sink. He tells me about it every day. It's our think. "Guy- what did you do at school today?" "I washa my hands inda sink." (I don't know where he picked up his Old World Italian accent.)
Ian reads everything everywhere now. I love it. I especially love that he'll help read stories to the littles at night. He's so fun right now. My favorite time with him is staying up past his bedtime doing Highlights together, or playing games...or shopping. One on one time with him is awesome.
Not that one on one time with any other kid isn't just as awesome...it just honestly doesn't happen so much with anyone else. I think about ways to change that, but cannot begin to do anything but survival right now. I dream of someday doing a "date night" once a week with a different kid each week.
How is it almost 10pm again??!? Frack.

31 for 21, Belated post about the Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad EC Meeting

2011-10-26T21:15:00.000-04:00

This is a belated Tuesday post.

I went to a meeting for parents of children in the EC program with the county last night. I went last year, it was pretty informative. They had some good speakers, and I was able to talk with some therapists and get general information stuff.

This year there was supposed to be a parent speaking, but there was some issue and he didn't make it. So they filled in his time slot with the "Transitions Coordinator" and her presentation about what to think about when your child is ready to transition from the school system to the real world.

Now, I don't know if I am the only one living in a bubble here...but I am not ready to think about that yet. I don't want to look at a grocery bagger and say to myself, "Gee, I think my kids should do that when they grow up." I don't want to hear that Quincy's is a business that welcomes people with disabilities as workers. At this point, I don't want to imagine a fulfilling life as a busboy.

It may be reality someday, but right now I want to pretend that there is something more out there. Maybe like that man who helps in the genetics counseling practice, or maybe they'll write a book. Maybe they will be artists or musicians or speakers...I don't know. I guess I just don't want specifics, or limits. Or reality.

Anyhoo. It seemed like I wasn't the only one who didn't want reality highlighted that evening. There were at least 5 other parents in tears during the meeting.

I'm happy I wasn't one of them. I save my tears for dinners out with my Ds Mommies. That's the proper time. Meetings like that are good for checking emails and downloading new apps on my phone.

31 for 21, Missing

2011-10-24T21:38:00.001-04:00

Sometimes I kinda hate the whole language-delay part of Ds. Okay, a lot of times it is less than convenient.

Like today, when I took off Chase's high top Converse (that he can't take off by himself) before bath time, and found out that his left sock was missing.

Who loses a sock without taking off his shoes? What the hell happened there?!?

I'll never know.

31 for 21, Late

2011-10-23T21:56:00.002-04:00

Here I am, again, an hour past my hopeful-bedtime.

I have GOT to get this under control.

PS- No, I did not get anything done on my DownsEd list of things to do. Not a one.

31 for 21, DownsEd

2011-10-22T21:15:00.000-04:00

I attended the 3rd day of the DownsEd conference here in Charlotte today. I gotta tell you, between the reading trainer at school all week and the deluge of information there today, I am a bit overloaded.

But, there was a ton really fantastic information available- things that I can use with the boys and things that I can use for teaching my struggling readers at school.

I have a list of things that I need to do:
1. Work on having higher expectations behaviorally for all the boys. That's on me. They can do more. They can be held accountable for following routines, and held to a higher level of functioning- as far as contributing to the household work and behaving in public.

2. Get organized for literacy and numeracy activities at home.

3. Follow up with school activities at home.

4. Add 6-8 more hours to every day for sleep.

31 for 21, Movie Night

2011-10-21T21:48:00.000-04:00

*I've never seen Guy sit like this before! How funny is the leg crossing? He looks like a real southern lady!

31 for 21: Ianisms- Girls

2011-10-20T20:05:00.000-04:00

Ian: Mom. Guess what? Sophia has a crush on both Ians in our class. Me AND Ian S.

Me: So, what do you do about that?

Ian: Well, mostly I just make her run away saying, "Ewwwww!"

Me: How do you make her say, "Ew?"

Ian: I make a noise like this: (insert gross boy noise).

31 for 21, Zeke Update

2011-10-19T21:43:00.000-04:00

What a charmer this guy is! Everyone who meets him leaves with a smile. Even the audiologist who had to wait an extra long time for us because Z decided that 1 minute before his hearing test, he had to use the rest room.

So, in addition to running around like a lunatic with this new job, I've been taking care of Z-man's medical appointments and preschool intake stuff.

In a nutshell (Look! It's me! I'm in a nut shell!"):

Medical stuff: hypothyroidism confirmed. Scheduling an appointment with the cardiologist to check everything, but he should be fine. AAI neck xray clear. Poop cooties detected and meds picked up today (that was a fun one. I don't believe there was mention of collecting stool samples anywhere in our adoption paperwork!).

Ophthalmologist: Far-sighted. Glasses need to be ordered ASAP. (By the way, has anybody seen Chase's Walmart glasses? Still lost...)

Audiologist: Some hearing deficiencies, but could be due to fluid or blockage in the ear. Appointment with ENT soon to roto-rooter his ear canals soon.

This is the cool one:
Preschool Intake: Even though the wait to get all the evaluations and eligibility done for the county could take up to 3 months, we were able to get Zeke into his future class as a "Peer Pal"- usually reserved for typically developing children without IEPs. I don't know what more to say about that, except that I'm so glad that I've been blogging about our journey, and that people who care enough to make a difference and make the transition for Zeke as easy as possible have been reading it.

So, today (the day after our very first meeting with the county EC team), Zeke had his first day at preschool in Waxhaw with Chase and did very, very well. His teacher complimented him on his manners :) In fact, it was Mr. Chase that had a hard time sharing the lovely Ms. Santana in class.

And I think that's it for now. I think sometime in the near future we won't have a zillion places to be, and life will slow down to it's normal frantic pace.

31 for 21, New Job Update

2011-10-18T20:18:00.000-04:00

Here's the low down on my awesome new job.

I wrestled with the idea of going back to work a LOT. I do absolutely love being at home, but as bills changed and we added more kids, etc, etc, it ended up that I couldn't just stay at home with my own kids, but I had to take daycare kids in as well to make ends meet. So, now, even though I got to be at home, I wasn't so much spending a ton of quality time with Gavin while I was at home, but trying to juggle the needs of the other kids, the parents' schedules, the pick ups and drop offs for school (no busing for us because of our transfer), and also odd freelance writing jobs.

Ideally, yeah, I'd LOVE to be the mom who has the luxury of staying at home, going on all the school field trips, volunteering in the classes, and taking the little ones to the zoo and the park and the children's museum. But that's not how things work out here and that's ok.

Anyway, it's just time for a change, and time for me to get a J-O-B, especially when 3/4 of the boys have to be in full time school anyways. And Gavin? I'm not gonna lie, I miss him like crazy...but he is BUSY. Honestly, if I can't be one on one with him and run him all around the city to awesome little-kid play things, then it is very very hard to keep him occupied. He's ready to be busy with 9 of his closest friends and 3 teachers to assist with the messes...to learn how to sit in a circle and listen to a teacher, and soak up all kinds of new learning :)

So that's that.

Now onto my flipping awesome job:

I really like teaching, I do. But I really LOVE teaching reading and writing. Like, I-want-to-marry-it LOVE it. So, this position that I have as a literacy resource teacher, is the best ever.

I have a little office that I share with five other lit. resource teachers, with my own desk and rolling chair. I have about a half hour of planning time in there in the mornings, and then I am off. And by off, I mean I load up my little file-cart-on-wheels with everything that I need for the day, and I go to one classroom in each grade level and assist in their literacy block. And then I leave. And I don't worry about walking kids to specials, or lunch...or bathroom breaks...it makes me want to do a little song and dance right now.

I have about an hour in each class, and I work with the same teachers every day. I teach kids in small groups and individually, I help assess kids in reading, and I plan with the teachers new strategies to grow their students' reading abilities.

Also, the school that I am at was showing some pretty terrible testing scores. That isn't really my selling point- but what makes that awesome is that they have a wonderful with-it, proven principal in there this year, a team of really excellent teachers and curriculum support people, and some amazing opportunities for professional growth- all which will *hopefully* make a big difference in the students' gains this year.

It's just a truly awesome place. This, combined with the boys' school situations and Mary Poppins, I'm feeling like I made the right decision.

PS- Zeke is doing fantastic in school already :)

31 for 21, Brownie Points

2011-10-17T21:15:00.000-04:00

Going back to work is awesome, but really difficult right now. Well, I guess not impossible difficult, just different difficult.

Like last night and this morning- I was like a tornado trying to get everything done and everyone ready...and I have to hand it to Bryan, he is jumping in wherever he is needed.

Highlights:

*He admitted that he should have gotten up at least 10 minutes earlier.

*He takes all 4 boys to school on his way to work, even walking the littles into preschool and washing their hands and taking them to the bathroom.

*He is ~~reluctantly~~ going to start driving the swagger wagon because fitting 4 car seats into the Santa Fe is a bit tight.

*He is a really good order-taker. I can ask him to do anything in the morning or the evening, and he is on top of it. Brushing the kids' teeth, putting on shoes, folding laundry, packing lunches. Sometime I am going to sneak in "Get me a glass of wine" or "massage my feet" and see if he notices.

*He's put the boys to bed by himself 2 nights in a row while I've run off to get some errands done after dinner.

I probably don't say it enough, but he is super-awesome and I'm so happy to have him by my side :)

31 for 21, New Job Eve

2011-10-16T21:39:00.000-04:00

This 31 for 21 thing is hard this year. I'm running out of time in the days. Even right now, I should definitely be in bed, but I have a thousand things to do on my New Job Eve.

Lunches to pack, outfits to try on (GAH! Why did I eat all that chocolate in Ukraine?!?!), kitchen to clean, long detailed instructions for Miss Bert (our new nanny, or, as I like to call her, Mary Poppins), and kids that took late naps who don't want to go to bed tonight (ahem, Chase.)

Oh, plus that boatload of professional reading to do. I still have like 9 hours left before I have to leave for work. I should be able to cover 3 books on literacy, right?

Plus, my master plan was to take a shower tonight so that all I had to do was straighten my hair in the morning to look presentable.

I am already missing my yoga pants and ponytail...

But I am also looking forward to looking like a human being again.

Oh, and a paycheck. I am looking forward to a paycheck. So are my bills. And so is Bryan.

The kids are gonna be fine tomorrow. Just fine. Perfectly fine. And so am I. I'll be fine. Fine, fine, fine, fine fine. We'll all be fine.

Just. Fine.

31 for 21, Article

2011-10-15T22:10:00.000-04:00

http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/99-of-people-with-down-syndrome-say-they-are-happy-so-why-are-most-downs-ba/

I have lots to say on this. Maybe more tomorrow.

31 for 21, Zumbo: A Chase Story

2011-10-14T22:24:00.000-04:00

Stop me if I've told you this one before:

Last year, Chase's preschool teacher was Mrs. Zumbo. We loved her. She was really good, but didn't let Chase get away with anything. Mrs. Zumbo's assistant was Mrs. Hewitt. Chase adores her. He calls her HEWITT.

So, all year long, Chase refused to say Mrs. Zumbo's name. Conversations would go like this:
Me: Chase, do you want to go see Mrs. Zumbo at school today?
Chase: No, HEWITT.

Me: Chase, did Mrs. Zumbo read you a story today?
Chase: No, HEWITT.

Mrs. Zumbo: Chase, say Zumbo.
Chase: No, HEWITT!

What a little turkey, no?

But here's the hysterical part:

This year, he's in a different class, but he still sees Mrs. Zumbo in the hall all the time. Mrs. Zumbo recently messaged me to tell me that every time he sees her since school began this year, he runs up to her for a hug, yelling, "ZUMBO!!!"

I wonder how long he was planning that joke?

31 for 21, Cop Out

2011-10-13T23:23:00.000-04:00

I promise more pictures tomorrow. Crazy day running around, ending with girls' night with some of my favorite Ds mommies.

No motivation to type tonight :)

PS- Once, in my paranoid-delusions after Chase was born, I thought that I wouldn't have friends anymore because of him. Seriously. How stupid was that?

31 for 21, The Good Stuff

2011-10-12T07:27:00.000-04:00

31 for 21, Glamorous Again

2011-10-11T21:12:00.000-04:00

I'm reveling in my motherhood moments again. Well, maybe not reveling. Not really basking, either. I mean, I'm happy I'm here, and everything. I really am. And I'd rather be here doing this stuff than in Ukraine away from everyone not doing this stuff.

All I'm saying is that I deserve an award of some epic motherhood proportions for today.

Ian came into our bed this morning at 3am with a bad dream, which means I spent the next 2.5 hours sleeping on a five inch strip of mattress.

Normal whirlwind of before-school preparations.

To the pediatrician's for Zeke's big once-over appointment...that lasted nearly 3 hours, and consisted of things like holding him down for vaccines and 3 attempts to draw blood, 3 trips to the bathroom to 'pee-pee in a cup', and leaving the office with a "Stool Sample Collection Kit."

When we got home I used said kit...and there is now a 'sample' in my refrigerator. They don't tell you these things in Parenting 101.

Barf.

Then I picked up the kids from school (minus Gavin, because Gaga was here to be his ~~servant~~ caretaker today while we were running around) and took them on a field trip to the endocrinologist, where I had to hold Chase down for his bloodwork...where he decided that none of us were his friends any more, and he refused to walk out of the office. Actually, he went boneless...which any parent will tell you adds 150% more body weight to a child.

Dinner=easy because a Meal Fairy left a casserole in my freezer. Thank you for the kindness of others! It is appreciated!

Bedtime- a breeze because of my fab husband.

But here's the grand finale: digging through 3 days worth of kitchen trash because tomorrow is trash day and I have a fear that Chase's good glasses are somewhere in one of those bags. Saving grace: there were latex gloves included in the "Stool Sample Collection Kit" that I used so I didn't actually have to touch anything gross in the garbage.

It's good to be home. Real life, people.

31 for 21, Attention Teachers

2011-10-10T21:22:00.000-04:00

I'm taking a break from telling you about how awesome it is to be home right now (even though it is, and I just got home from spending an hour with my bestie next door catching up- eeee!)

I'm catching up on some professional reading before I go back to work, you know, so I can talk intelligently about something that is not a.) poop, b.) laundry, or c.) how cute my kids are.

So, I'm probably totally out of the loop, and maybe the last reading educator who has read this book, but The Cafe Book; engaging all students in daily literacy assessment and instruction, by Gail Boushey and Joan Moser is AWESOME.

I feel like these ladies could have been my sisters. I was one who was always trying to find the perfect system to group and assess my kids, to motivate them, and to find the time to meet all their individual needs. I love, love LURVE their answers to these issues, and I cannot wait to work it all into the classroom.

What's even better is that in my role, I'll be supporting classroom teachers during their literacy blocks, and they are already on board with the Cafe system...so in theory, we will all be working towards the same goal with the same methods and understandings.

The reading teacher in me is so excited that she could just die.

31 for 21, Differences

2011-10-09T21:27:00.000-04:00

Since we've been home, Bryan and I keep noting the differences between Zeke and Chase. We of course knew that like all of our boys, they'd have different personalities, different abilities, different preferences...but in the interest of the stereotype that lumps all people with Down syndrome into the same cookie cutter, I like seeing all the details up close and personal and pointing them out.

For example:

Chase is delicate, with a little peanut head that can still miraculously fit into the newborn hat that Guy wore home from the hospital (albeit a little stretched out). He has very slim arms and legs, and absolutely no booty. He has lower muscle tone, but high strength when he chooses to use it.

Zeke is stocky, in actuality only 5 pounds heavier than Chase, but he feels about 20 pounds heavier because I think his muscle tone is better than Chase's.

Zeke verbalizes a LOT. He's always got that little motor mouth running. We're not entirely sure what he's saying, but he has a lot on his mind and he wants to share. He's also really good (most of the time) following directions- take that to the garbage, clear your plate to the sink, put your shoes on, go inside the house...etc).

Chase is quieter, saving his words for when he really needs them, like when Gavin is trying to take a toy away from him. You'll hear that across the neighborhood. And he can hear all the directions that we give to him. He just chooses to ignore the ones he doesn't like.

Chase is sure on his feet- he has MAD PT skills. Yesterday at the park, he'd hang from the monkey bars for 10+ seconds, and then drop to the ground and land on his feet. He runs pretty quickly (although still has those funky Phoebe arms waving all over the place- lol). He goes up and down stairs foot over foot while holding onto a railing, and will step up and meet his feet on the stairs without holding on to anything.

Zeke is still honing his gross motor skills. He's got the basics, walking, running, climbing...but he's definitely not as comfortable with any of that as Chase is. He has the funniest little run/walk thing going on- he pumps his arms from side to side- I'll have to catch it on video sometime. He looks like a little old man power walking. He tried the monkey bar trick today, and could barely hold on for a second before dropping to the ground and collapsing. He just couldn't seem to get his legs placed underneath him.

Zeke has awesome fine motor skills. He grips his crayon/pencil almost perfectly. He loves to color, and could sit for a half hour with crayons and paper and be content.

Chase still has the whole hand grip going on, and lacks the attention span to color anything for more than 3 strokes of a crayon. If you sit with him, you can convince him to try it longer, but he really just doesn't care a whole lot about it.

Both can be stubborn as ALL GET OUT, but Chase definitely wins the prize for obstinence. If he does't want to do what's on your agenda, he just will not. Will not. Not ever. And if you force him, then he will be very, very, very sad for a very, very long time. Zeke wants to do things his way, but he's learned the magic of counting, and when Bryan and I hit number three, he is ready to comply (most of the time...the rest of the time is when we learned that 5 pounds more actually feels like 20 pounds more).

Both of them are silly, funny, and mischievous. Just in their own ways. Both have a look that says, "I'm gonna go do this thing now...do you care? By the way, it's not allowed." Both are very loving- Chase is more apt to go in for a cuddle, and Zeke goes in for a kiss on both cheeks (and forehead, and chin, and nose, and lips, and arms, and knees...)

NEITHER are happy all the time. If you ever, ever hear anyone spout off that myth, feel free to refer them to me :)