We Are Home - A Teaser

We got home this afternoon after a very long day of traveling which started out at 5:30 a.m. catching a shuttle to the airport. Our trip was really fun. We did SeaWorld, Magic Kingdon, Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios. The kids met 20 characters (Jaelyn counted for me). That's at least 15 minutes of standing in line times 20. 4 out of 5 of us rode many rides, but Caden really struggled with being scared. He just wasn't quite ready. The girls tried out and loved their first rollercoaster. We made a ton of wonderful memories and I promise to share them all and some of the 250+ pictures I took over the next week!

And We are Off

Unlike my dear friend, Michele, I won't be blogging everyday from Disney. You'll have to wait till I get back.

We told the kids this morning and I didn't get the response I was expecting. I don't think they believed me. There's a little more excitement now, but not much. I bet it'll start oozing out of them once we get to the airport!

Cat Naps

Because they are so sweet...

2 Coats Is All It Took

I am in love with our new green bathroom. The bathrooms are color coded. We had a red, green, blue and yellow bathroom. Now we have 2 green bathrooms...it could get confusing. Anyway, thankfully it only took 2 coats of paint to cover the walls because I really didn't want to have to buy more paint. The room before was red and dark and small. Now it feels clean and fresh and open. I think the ceiling is 2 feet higher now that it's painted white instead of dark red. Even Dan commented on how nice it looks, without me asking him! The only thing to do is paint the baseboards.

It's a tiny space so there's really not that much to see, but here are a few pictures. Sorry, no before, but the walls were the exact color of the red in the wreath. Now they are a soft, sage green.

Procrastinating on the Bedroom by...

I've been wanting to paint my bedroom for a LONG time. It's a huge job though as it's semi-gloss and has high ceilings. I'll have to prime the walls before I paint them with flat, my preferred finish. The sad thing is I really like the color and will probably paint a really similar shade. Only, it'll be a clean, fresh paint job that I'll be able to touch up and maintain easily.

So anyway, I just can't quite get myself started on the project, but I've felt the need to "do" something. As a procrastination, I decided to paint our half bathroom. The original owners painted it a pretty burgundy red semi-gloss. They not only painted the walls, but the ceiling and the woodwork. I've painted EVERYTHING with kilz and have put 4 coats of ceiling paint on the ceiling to cover up the red. I have a half gallon of green left over from our kitchen and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it'll only take 2 coats to cover since it's a color and not creamy white like the ceiling.

I'll try to post pictures when I'm finished, but it's a kind of small space to photograph. I'll be able to re-use the things I had hanging on the wall and will only need to purchase a towel hook for a hand towel. I have no idea why the builder put a huge towel bar in such a tiny bathroom. Must have been a man who did it :p. Anyway, I'm excited to get this project finished. Once I get our bedroom and bathroom done, I'll have repainted every wall in the house except the basement storage room and bath (although I have touched those up with left over paint). Next step, learning how to regrout tile!

Oh and since I'm on the subject of paint, I finally had our bay window bump-out and trim around the front door painted. They did a really good job. I love driving up and seeing the front of our house now. Yea.

Say "Cheese"...or Maybe "Grandpa has Stinky Feet"

I'm ashamed to admit how long it's been since we had professional photos taken. In my defense, I am constantly taking pictures so we are not at a loss for documenting the kids's lives. Anyway, we went to Sears today to take "real" pictures. Here's my favorite:

You can go to https://www.searsphotos.com/?shareid=S206426408l8BY5J7YKX2 to see the rest.

The Camp Out Was a Success

Everyone had a good time last night. The kids went to sleep really well...Jaelyn was making noises, but Dan threatened to take her inside to her bed and she got quiet immediately. Caden came in about 4 to sleep in with me, but I didn't hear any other voices until close to 7. It got cold outside last night. Jaelyn enjoyed putting her cold hands all over me to prove it. I have a feeling backyard camping will be requested quite often in the future.

Camping Out

I'm not quite sure how this idea started...if it was the kids asking us to take them camping because of seeing a cartoon where the characters were camping out or maybe it was Dan's idea...but the kids have been asking to sleep in a tent. Dan went to MWR today and rented a tent for the weekend. He and Caden pitched it in the backyard this afternoon. This evening we went to a magic show at the kids' school (which was wonderful) and then came home filled with excitement for the camp out. I bundled everyone up with fleece pajamas since it's supposed to get into the 50s tonight. Dan gave them each a glow stick and then took them out to the tent to sleep. I joined them for just a few minutes to share oreos and hear spooky stories. Caden's was the silliest story: "There was a spider. A bear came and ate him!" The end. Allie told a story from the cartoon WordWorld where the characters go camping and Jaelyn told Caden's story. I'm not sure if everyone will make it all night, but I have the windows open and all is quiet so far! Yea for Dan for making such a fun memory for the kids!!!

Big Man on Campus

Caden was such a little big man today. It was his first full day of preschool. He went right into his class without looking back. I got there a little early to pick him up and watched him play on the playground. I couldn't believe it, but he was working at pumping his legs on the swings. He refuses to do it at home. Allie learned how to swing last year and I'm really hoping preschool will teach Caden the same lesson (among other things). He said he had a great time when I picked him up. Yea!

Willy the Worm - Songs by Allie

Allie loves the songs she's learning in kindergarten. She comes home singing new songs everyday. Here is the song she sang for us this morning. I can't even begin to describe how cute it is so just watch!

School Work

Allie, bless her little heart, is trying in school. Some of her papers come home quite messy. Her teacher helped her draw the butterfly on her B page and I'm sure she helped her spell the words. Her 4 things, encase you can't figure it out are: butterfly, banana, bubbles and balloons.

Jaelyn had a cute rhyming assignment today. This part of it made me laugh.

My Shopping List

Caden and I are going grocery shopping this morning. Jaelyn wanted to help me write my list this morning. I'm pretty impressed with what she did. She's doing a much better job of hearing the sounds in words. Her spelling is phonetic (they call it stretch spelling), but I know exactly what she wrote. Do you?

Goldfish, granola bars, waffles, yogurt, snack, bags, chicken, clorox wipes

Her Mouth is Getting Empty

Jaelyn lost another tooth out last night. She actually pulled this one out all by herself. She had it pointing straight down, turned it a little and it popped out. It's her 6th tooth to come out and only 2 new ones have come in. Her mouth is getting mighty empty. She has 2 more loose teeth on top. I sure hope her centrals come in before her laterals come out or she's going to have trouble biting her food. Jaelyn was thrilled to wake up this morning and find 4 quarters in her tooth fairy box after the tooth fairy came a day late last week (in her excuse, she must have had a very busy schedule that night).

Sorry, not the best picture of Jaelyn, but I really wanted to to see her mouth.

Allie's Day and Caden's Fever

Allie had a great day at school today. She came home with her 3rd 5 block certificate. 7 more and she's earned herself another prize. Jaelyn told me one of her friends is friends with a girl in Allie's class and apparently Allie has been pulling this girl's hair. Hmmm...follow that? I asked Allie about it and Allie said she did pull a little girl's hair. It's the girl that no longer wants to be her friend. I wonder why?!?! Allie has instructions to apologize to her tomorrow!

Caden had a rough night last night. He was fine at bedtime and then was burning up when Danny took him to the bathroom around 10. He had a 102 degree fever. We gave him tylenol, stuck a cool washcloth on his head and went to bed. I set my alarm for 3 hours, but must have turned it off because Caden woke me up at 4. He was dry heaving, yuck. I don't think he ever actually threw up. Dan stayed home with him today while I took Jaelyn to her appointment. Caden's fever is down to 99 now without tylenol after a 3 1/2 hour afternoon nap and he's playing like nothing is the matter. He must feel better.

Trip to the Eye Doctor

Jaelyn had her doctor's appointment today. She had a regular eye exam complete with dilation and the little eye machine where they ask "which is better...A...B...A...B" She hated the drops and totally despised having a bright light shined into her eyes, but other than a little whimpering, she did really well. To cheer her up, we stuck out our tongues at each other while the doctor's back was turned. That was fun. Anyway, our sweet Jaelyn is farsighted and will be getting glasses to read. Her eye sight is borderline for needing glasses, but the doctor would rather she have them to prevent eye strain then not and have her eyes get worse. He said it might be something she grows out of eventually.

I took her to a store tonight and we picked her out a pair of glasses. She picked silvery-blue metal frames over girly pink. They are teeny tiny and look really cute on her. As soon as we get them back I'll take a picture. She'll have to wear them at school anytime she's reading or doing seat work. She's worried about wearing them in front of her friends. I think I might need to check out "Junie B. First Grader at Last" again for us to read. Junie B. gets glasses in the book.

So You Don't Think I've Forgotten Her

Jaelyn is doing awesome in school. She's had three terrific weeks. We haven't had any issues with focus or being distracted. She's coming home with completed work instead of work that needs to be completed. They've just started rotating classes for math and will begin rotating for reading next week. I'm interested to talk with her teacher and see which level Jaelyn has been placed in.

Allie's Week

Allie had good days the beginning of the week. Thursday was good until rest. Allie came home with a 5 block certificate. She also had a note that she made noises during rest, had the 1, 2, 3 count and then was sent to the assistant principal's office. I told Allie when she had 10 more "5 Block Days," she would earn another prize. In my opinion, Thursday should not have been a 5 block day, but she brought home the certificate. 3 warnings - 3 blocks should have gone bye-bye?? I wrote the teacher a note asking her why Allie didn't lose blocks and explained that I'm rewarding her for having 5 block days and that going to the assistant principal's office should have her lose blocks.The teacher also said the snacks seemed to have helped. Allie said she did all of her work and didn't have problems.

Today, Allie brought home another 5 block certificate along with a certificate for following directions in the hallway! Way to go Allie. Her teacher agreed with the blocks and office visits, but didn't want to take one away yesterday since she hadn't told Allie what she would be doing. Starting Monday, she'll be losing blocks if she "gets" to visit Mrs. Buckler again. Miss B said Allie did receive a couple of reminders today, but always followed directions after the reminder. I think we are making progress. If it hadn't been for noises yesterday during rest, she would have had a perfect (for Allie) week!!!

On a sad note, Allie told me tonight that one of her two new friends doesn't want to be her friend anymore. Why do kids have to do that? Oh and there's another little boy that goes to the office every day at rest so Allie isn't alone in having rest issues!

Our Newest "Pet"

The kids have been making "bug buckets" all summer. They've been taking buckets and filling them with sand, dirt, bark, grass and flowers in the hopes that a bug will crawl into them to make a house. That hasn't happened, but it has kept them entertained. Well, yesterday, I found this little guy on our tomato plants. It seems kind of late in the season to be finding caterpillars and I'm not sure he'll make it, but we got an old pickle jar, punched holes in the lid and stuck him in it with some fresh leaves and water. I'm hoping we can keep him alive long enough to watch him because a beautiful butterfly (or maybe an ugly moth - who knows!)

Caden's First Week of School

I've been so focused on Allie this week that I haven't posted about Caden. He had his first 2 days of preschool this week. Tuesday, we only went for an hour. Moms were all invited so it wouldn't be so scary. They did a very abbreviated version of school with a shorter first cycle, center time (including water colors) and a final circle. Caden did really well and enjoyed playing in the room. I wouldn't say he played "with" other kids, but they all played "around" each other very nicely.





Thursday, the kids went for an hour and a half without Mommies. I was the parent helper so I got to be there. It was a great first day without a single tear. I'm hoping Caden will follow that example on Tuesday. Caden enjoyed playing and did not stay by my side. They sang a Humpty Dumpty song and pretended to be HD by pulling their knees in and rolling sideways until they "broke." During circle, Caden got to bring 1 item for show and tell. He chose a Star Wars happy meal toy he'd gotten the night before. He did a good job of telling his new friends about it and answering the teacher's questions. After school, we stuck around to play with some other kids on the playground. Caden enjoyed playing hide and seek and tag. Good days!

(The video might be boring to most, but it's mainly there for Grandmas!)

Kids Say the Most Awesome Things

Jaelyn had math homework tonight. She had to cut out pictures of people and things and then tell me a number story about them. She cut out a tool box with tools, a boy, a girl and 3 toys. As she was cutting out the tool box, I asked her "Who's going to be using the tools?" just out of curiosity.

Her response:

"The daddy...cause the daddy can do it and the mommy can tell the daddy what to do."

Awesome, yes?!?! Sorry, Dan. I'll try to work on my control freak ways while you are gone, but they are probably only going to get worse!

Call From the Counselor

Apparently Allie isn't doing as well as I thought. She has had 2 great days this week (confirmed by the school counselor), but last Friday was bad, worse than she told us. Allie tore up work, just flat out refused to do it. She threw a horrible tantrum and had to go to the counselor's office. Did I know about it??? No because no one bothered to write a note to tell me. They've decided maybe she's hungry so asked if I could send in 2 snacks (1 for the morning and 1 for the afternoon) that she can eat by herself in the hallway quickly. The counselor said that with the refusing to do work, they are going to give her 2 chances to do it. If she doesn't, they'll send it home with me to do and I'll make sure she misses out on something fun while she does it. I suggested for tantrums, they take time away from her recess time and make her sit on a bench and do her work - I don't know if they'll do that or not. When she is refusing to do the work and sitting at her desk or the think chair, she's making noises and being distracting to the other children...they are going to give her 3 chances (1,2,3 magic???? haven't read the book, but counselor referenced it) and then send her to the office. I don't want my kid to be "that" kid that no one wants in their room. Oh and the kicker to me...the school has a psychologist that comes once a week. They'll be discussing Allie with her/him this week. I just don't know how I feel about that. I want her to have a positive experience, but I don't think a psychologist and testing/diagnosis is the way to go here. I think clear, daily communication (I talked with the counselor about this) and being firm with Allie with consequences while heaping on praises (and recognizing when Allie's gonna blow - because seriously, I had tantrum issues with her when she was 2, but I haven't had issues on a continual basis like that since - maybe I'm just good at heading them off???). I just know I really didn't need that phone call at all today.

Our lives have taken a dramatic turn and I'm still dazed and struggling with it.

A Lost Tooth

Literally...Jaelyn's bottom left lateral has been loose for a while. I've tried to get my fingers on it to pull it many times, but she always manages to escape my grasp. I bet she's sorry now. She came home today and told me she lost her tooth and she really lost it! She has no idea when it came out. She says it was there when she brushed her teeth this morning. I bet she swallowed it. She's very concerned about the tooth fairy, and even wrote a note that says "I lost my tooth" to stick in her tooth fairy box. Let's keep our fingers crossed that the tooth fairy will accept the note as payment!

She now has 3 holes in her mouth and 3 more loose teeth! She's going to look funny pretty soon if those new teeth don't start coming in!

5 Block Day

Allie came home with another "5 Block Day" note yesterday. I'm so happy to see her experiencing some success. Friday had been another hard day. Her teacher didn't say anything, but Allie talked about being in the think chair and sneaking out to hide under a desk. I know...you are laughing, but it's not funny. I also noticed she's cut some of her hair at some point. She has a few little spikey spots in her bangs. Ugghhhh.

She needs 2 more good days to earn her mouse princess. She was talking about it on the way to the bus stop today! My fingers are crossed that she'll earn it this week!

5 Minute Chocolate Mug Cake

My friend, Kat, shared this recipe on a message board and I just have to share it with you. I haven't made it, but she promises it is wonderful. It sounds a lot like the Betty Crocker Warm Delight Bowls I was addicted to last time Dan was deployed. I'm not going to start that habit again, I'm not, I'm not...but...in a pinch, I could make this very easily with ingredients I always have in the pantry.

5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE

1 Coffee Mug
4 tablespoons flour(that's plain flour, not self-rising)
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons baking cocoa
1 egg3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional) some nuts (optional)
Small splash of vanilla

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly. Pour in the milk and oil and mix well. Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla, and mix again. Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes on high. The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed! Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired. EAT! (this can serve 2 if you want to share!) And why is this the most dangerous cake recipe in the world? Because now we are all only 5 minutes away from chocolate cake at any time of the day or night!

Birthfamily Searches

I shared a prayer request some time ago about this. Our investigators were in Samara last month. They were able to find and interview one birthmother and family. This makes me so happy. There's a wealth of information there and the opportunity for further contact if we decide down the road. I'm so sad about the other search. They couldn't locate the birthmother and have sent further inquiries. They do not have high hopes of ever finding any information. Will you please continue to pray for us as we process the information and share it with the girls as we feel is appropriate?

We are Approved to Foster

Isn't that great timing?!?! A tad bittersweet - well, being honest...lots of bitter, not much sweet! The letter came in the mail yesterday. The perfect way to wrap up our week. I'll call our SW on Monday and talk with her about what Dan's deployment will mean.

For now, I've packed the crib away into Caden's closet and given him his room back!

The Cat Gate

This post is for Dan. He couldn't believe I hadn't shared it and now that I think about it, I can't either.

We have a gate to block off our upstairs stairwell at night. It hasn't been a problem with our cat, Zoe, because she's tiny. She slips right through the rungs. Zack is not so tiny (about double Zoe) and he doesn't fit. If he gets caught upstairs, he can jump over the gate to get down, but he can't come back up again. I want him to be able to snuggle with us at night, so I've been brainstorming ways to fix the gate. Caden and I went to Lowes today for the necessary supplies and made a "cat door" in the gate. What do you think? And since this is about the cats. Here's a picture of them. They are sleeping nearby each other now and are rolling and playing like they've always been together.

Advertisement For My Dad's Puzzles

My dad has done woodworking for as long as I can remember. Most of my most treasured items today are things he's made me: a dresser for the girls, a rocking horse, wooden boxes...the list goes on and on. His newest love is making wooden puzzles for kids. He wants to start selling them so I thought I'd plug his blog for him. It's a work in progress, but I'd love for you to see his puzzles and tell you they would make great Christmas presents.

Notes From Allie's Teacher

I've got to give Allie's teacher credit. She is doing a great job of working with me and keeping me informed so that together, we can help Allie be successful in school.

Tuesday, Allie went to the think chair once for getting in trouble with a friend. I wish I could say I'm upset, but I'm not because SHE HAS A FRIEND! She was such a loner in preschool. It does this mommy heart good to know my little girl has a friend!

Here's yesterday's note from her teacher:

Allie had an excellent day until rest time. At rest, she began crying about having to rest. Then, she continued to have a tantrum in the think chair. She also broke off 2 wooden letters on the chair, but it can be fixed. Mrs. E spoke with Allie about her being upset and had her apologize. Like I said, she had such a great day to this point. Let's hope for a better full day tomorrow. She's so close.

I wrote her back and told her we are continuing to talk to Allie. I warned her about the "scary music man" and told her Allie said she liked the gym teacher. I also told her Allie gave up naps at 2 so trouble settling down at rest time didn't surprise me at all. I thanked her for keeping me informed and continuing to help Allie so that she can have a positive year.

And today's note:

Hooray, Allie kept all 5 blocks today!! Way to go! I spent no time in the think chair and I showed star Kindergarten behavior! Miss B is so proud of me!

Allie's day was really great. She had one little "mini" meltdown, but was able to get it together. She did a super job at rest.

Allie came off the bus running to tell me she had a no think chair day. She said she saw the music man and had fun. It was important for me to know that he had on a blue shirt today. Could his shirt last week have been what scared her??? No idea, but I'm thrilled that Allie had a good day and was happy to tell me about it!

I bought a $5 Dunkin Donut gift card to send to Miss B tomorrow. I wrote a note telling her how Allie is working hard towards her prize and that Miss B has been working just as hard and patiently; so we think she deserves a treat as well. I think it'll appreciated without seeming like brown nosing. And before you praise me for the idea, I stole it from a friend. :)

Can You Keep a Secret?

Mum around the kiddos okay (although most of my readers probably never see or talk to my kids)...

Dan and I have been talking about taking the kids to Disneyworld next summer. That's not happening, obviously. It looks like he'll be home from Iraq some time in August 2009, just as they are ready to go back to school. Sooo...we are going NOW! We'll be pulling the girls out of school for a few days and flying on Danny's birthday (Sept. 25th). We are going to do our best to keep it a secret and just tell them we are taking a trip on the day we leave and surprise them with our destination. They are going to be so excited. Dan bought our plane tickets tonight with his frequent flier miles and booked us a room at Shades of Green. All I have to do tomorrow is figure out the tickets and meal plans. Then we'll be all set. We'll have 4 days at Disney to go to the parks and meet all of our favorite characters before coming home and facing the reality of the next year!

He's Going...

...and that's all I have to say about that right now!

I'm Sick

Dan's had some drainage for a few weeks, but seemed to be all well by the end of last week. Now, the kids and I are all sick. I think last week was just too stressful. I sent Allie and Jaelyn to school today with cold medicine in them. I hope they both have good days. Allie needs 4 more good days to get her mouse princess.

I spent most of the weekend being sick and depressed. Dan was awesome and took care of the kids. I actually managed 48 hours of sick time (unheard of in the mommy world). I'm still coughing, but I've run out of sick days and I'm back to work!