Saturday, May 31, 2008

Almost "Wicked"

If I had blogged yesterday, this post would have been labeled "Wicked." Which refers to our new schedule around here. sigh.

Billy is now working night shift, though he didn't request it. You know how it goes. Anyway, if it weren't for kids who like to make the most of their days by rising before 6 a.m., this wouldn't be so bad. I'm a night owl and I would stay up late if it weren't for those "alarm clocks." Oh wait, I stay up late anyway. In fact, I'm currently researching what happens to a person after getting five-six hours of sleep a night for an extended period of time.

Anyway, the hard part is that we get up hours before Billy gets home, and then John doesn't understand why Dad has to go to bed all day.

But it's only almost wicked because children are so adaptable and we are adjusting now that the first full week of night shift is coming to a close.

Besides, we're soon going on vacation from our problems. (-:

In better news, here are some pictures for you...


"Don't worry guys, I know how to work this machine!"



Yes, we photocopied Koosh balls. Try it!



A treat:


Havilah couldn't get the refried beans down her throat fast enough. She was scooping them up by the fistful.




Up tomorrow: some new pictures of Havilah!

Saturday, May 24, 2008

preschool

Earlier this month I met with John's AzEIP advocate (Amy W) and the Peoria Schools representative, Mary Ellen. Mary Ellen asked me about John (how does he sleep? when did he start walking? does he like other children? plus 1000 similar questions). Then she said, "Is there anything else I should know about John?"

My first reaction to those kind of questions is always "no." Maybe it's because of the oh-so-helpful salesmen and customer service representatives who never fail to say "is there anything else I can do for you today?" I digress. Anyway, I bit my tongue and actually thought about it. Is there anything else Peoria needs to know about my John?

Yes. "He's sensitive."

"What do you mean...sensitive??"

"Well, he's in tune with people; he watches his surroundings; he has a definite routine that he likes to keep to...but more than that, he's sensitive to his senses."

"He doesn't like grass?"

"He didn't used to. In fact, we have a picture of him doing a push-up when he was just eight months old because he wanted to get away from the grass. He used to hate sand. He doesn't like the wind, or rain, or snow."


"And he hates getting his hair cut."

How did she know??

"Yes, he hates having his hair cut. It's torture."

"I see." [I don't think you can evaluate people for a living and not say "I see" at least three times an hour.]

So when we go back in July for John's preschool qualification visit, we'll see a speech therapist, psychologist, and school representative, and an occupational therapist. Who knew a healthy, smart two-year-old could see so many -ists? I don't think John has Sensory Integration Disorder or anything else scary like that, but I am grateful we can have a few professionals' opinions on how to help John get the words out of his head and into our ears. Maybe the sensory issue is part of the puzzle. We'll see.
Meanwhile, we are getting VERY excited for preschool (beginning August 11). John loved the developmental preschool we visited. He cried all the way to the car (quite a walk!) when it was time to go. He is going to thrive in that setting. We were encouraged to see all the play time and the positive peer interactions going on in the preschool.
When we first walked into the preschool, the kids were taking turns standing at the front of the classroom to be greeted by their classmates. They called back and forth: "Hi Sam!" "Hi!" / "Hi Cadence!" "Hi!" I had to swallow back my tears, thinking about John calling out to his friends with a voice I haven't heard much of: "Hi Emma!" "Hi Carlos" and then thinking of all his friends calling back "Hi John!"

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

John and his garden

John loves to water the "garden"--that is, the citrus trees, palm trees, potted vegetables, grass, or baby sister. On this particular day, he was watering in his diaper and boots (hey, these Arizona wall fences do give us plenty of privacy!):



We're looking forward to tomatoes,


lemons,


oranges,


zucchini and yellow squash,


and even some bell peppers and walla walla onions, if the 110 degrees doesn't get the better of the baby fruits and vegetables!

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

blueberry chick

Havilah enjoyed a bunch of frozen blueberries tonight. I promised her Mimi a look at the result...




[If you want to see the mess close-up, you can double-click on the pictures for a bigger view.]
Coming tomorrow: John in his "garden."

Friday, May 16, 2008

Ezekiel is here!

What: New baby in the family!
Who: Ezekiel Jason, son of Jason and Elizabeth, and Cambria's little brother
Where: Sanford, NC
When: Thursday, May 16, 2 p.m.ish (EST)
How much: 9 lbs, 12 oz. 22 inches long (family record-setter!)


We can't wait to see you in a few weeks baby Ezekiel!!

Monday, May 12, 2008

well-rounded?

This evening as I mopped the floor, I was thinking about John and Havilah down the road. Thinking about the values Billy and I want them to have, the skills and good habits I want to teach them, the people I want them to become. I hope that John and Havilah will enjoy some of the things I enjoy. And of course, I'm anticipating acquiring new hobbies and interests based on the things they are interested in. Then I came across this quote--and while I believe there is hope outside of growing lovely children, still there is a lot of truth to it:

"Our hopes and future depend on the healthy and well-rounded children we nurture and love." --Sharon Lovejoy

Nurture and love. Even if I sometimes raise my voice, lose my patience, feel uninspired at playtime, or serve leftovers for dinner again, I do love my kids very much and am always seeking to nurture them to the best of my ability.



Oh, and here's a little slide show for your enjoyment (it includes Havilah scooting around and a few pictures of her when she fell asleep at lunch today...and the promised new pictures of John):

View this montage created at One True Media
Scooting

Sunday, May 11, 2008

happy mother's day!

Happy Mother's Day to my mom and Robyn, and all of our amazing grandmas. We are so blessed to have so many wonderful mothers in our families!

This has been a happy day for us. Billy, John, and Hava gave me a couple pairs of nice new pajamas (hey, the Eagle Fern Camp shirts are comfortable, but do leave something to be desired) and a sweet card. Billy is still recovering from his oral surgery (on Thursday), and John has a fever so we've stayed at home, except for a nice long walk around our neighborhood.

This Mother's Day I am blessed to have two kids who are as precious as can be. They make my "job" a delight!

I don't have any new pictures of John from the last few days (I'll work on that after he's feeling better), but here are some shots of Havilah. As you can tell, I've convinced her of the joys of vegetables. In fact, her new favorite food is Veggie Booty!



Saturday, May 3, 2008

auntie Shawna

We just enjoyed four lovely days with the amazing Auntie Shawna. We didn't do anything special, just hung out together.



Havilah loved, loved her auntie from the first moment Shawna stepped off the plane. If you know Havilah, you know she doesn't love, love anyone but her mom, dad, and brother. So we were overjoyed to see her at ease with Shawna.

We joked that Havilah loves Shawna because she knows she looks so much like her aunt.





We set up a little pool in the backyard for John:





(Hava declined to join him and Daddy in their splashing fest):


We also went to the park with the aunties and cousins, did a little wedding shopping and planning, and just enjoyed being together.



Shawna went home this morning. I miss her already, especially since we won't be together again until a week before her wedding in August. I love you sister; thanks for coming to stay with us!
 
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