Monday, May 31, 2010
Memorial Day 2010
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Lucy is 18 months and WALKING!
Here she is, taking her tiny, careful steps around the island in the kitchen, following me like a little duckling. She's not a confident walker but spends more time upright now than crawling! Lucy is one that we'll soon be chasing, she's a busy little girl!
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Life's Little Lessons*
By Dolores ;o)
5/5/10
Take a shower while you can; you never know when the water will be turned off or the hot water heater will break down. Do laundry while you can for the same reasons: machines break down.
Put a screen over your outside dryer vent to keep birds from building their nests in it. If there's a nest in there the birds stay warm but your clothes won't get dry no matter how many times you turn the dryer back on. You'll all run out of clean underwear.
If you have a dishwasher, the garbage disposal and hot water are routed through it. If your dishwasher breaks down (maybe it never worked right in the first place) or you take it out to put floor tile under it (maybe with tiles you've had for five years), you won't have hot water in your kitchen for dishes or baby's sink baths. You can do dishes in cold water if you must. But you must heat some water to add to a baby's sink bath. If your stove is also disconnected and moved into your family room during the floor tiling, you must use the microwave to heat water. If one of the kids microwaved a Chinese take-out box with metal handle and your microwave is broken or you have to stay off the kitchen floor while the tile cement or the grout dries, well then, you'll have to bathe the baby in the sled on the floor of the shower upstairs. More kids can fit in the sled at once anyway. But if the problem is the hot water heater, just forget giving anybody a bath upstairs, there won't be hot water up there either. Just send a note to school with your kids explaining why they're so dirty. Or...go to your married daughter's house for everyone's baths and showers and hope you don't overwhelm their hot water heater.
Brain freeze is not what happens when you eat ice cream-- it's what happens when you wash your hair in very cold water. If your brain is frozen you might feel dizzy. Hair warms up before your scalp does.
A new hot water heater costs about $500. Same with a new dishwasher. New underwear for everyone costs at least $50.
5-17-10
When you buy a second car, make sure it will seat your whole family or you'll have transportation problems when the larger vehicle is in the shop or you lose your keys for two weeks. You'll have to make two trips to get everybody to church, or ask somebody else for rides if your husband is the bishop and he forgets and drives the only car with keys to church for earlier meetings.
When one rear tire wears out and goes flat on your car you must buy two new rear tires. Same goes for the front tires. If by some chance it happens on both of your cars, you must buy a lot of new tires.
Tires cost about $100 each. Times 4 = $400 + tax.
5-22-10
You should order new glasses when they break the first time, you can only fix them with Super Glue or Shrink Tubing so many times. It takes time to get the new glasses and you can't drive without them. This will make it hard to get new ones. Well, you can order new glasses online IF you already have a prescription and your computer hasn't crashed.
You can live without a computer but pretty soon you feel like you've lost touch with far-away relatives you email and when/if you finally do get online again you will have lost all of your blog followers and you'll have so many of those FWD:FWD:FWD emails you may not be able to open your old email address anyway.
You should have more than one form of technology to communicate with family in case of fire, flood or an upcoming family reunion. If your computer crashes you could still use your cell phone. If the baby drops your cell phone in the toilet, hopefully by then you've replaced your computer. If not, be sure your husband also has a cell phone. If he takes it to work, well then try writing letters through the postal system-- if you have any stationary and stamps. You may have to go to the post office to buy these; here's hoping your new glasses have arrived and you can find your car keys!
Glasses with bifocal lenses cost $200. A computer costs $$$? (use the one in your husband's office). A cell phone has monthly fees (but is necessary with kids with special needs). A postage stamp is now 44 cents. To replace your car keys: $40 for a programmed key online, or $185 from the dealership including remote key fob and towing.
Take a shower while you can; you never know when the water will be turned off or the hot water heater will break down. Do laundry while you can for the same reasons: machines break down.
Put a screen over your outside dryer vent to keep birds from building their nests in it. If there's a nest in there the birds stay warm but your clothes won't get dry no matter how many times you turn the dryer back on. You'll all run out of clean underwear.
If you have a dishwasher, the garbage disposal and hot water are routed through it. If your dishwasher breaks down (maybe it never worked right in the first place) or you take it out to put floor tile under it (maybe with tiles you've had for five years), you won't have hot water in your kitchen for dishes or baby's sink baths. You can do dishes in cold water if you must. But you must heat some water to add to a baby's sink bath. If your stove is also disconnected and moved into your family room during the floor tiling, you must use the microwave to heat water. If one of the kids microwaved a Chinese take-out box with metal handle and your microwave is broken or you have to stay off the kitchen floor while the tile cement or the grout dries, well then, you'll have to bathe the baby in the sled on the floor of the shower upstairs. More kids can fit in the sled at once anyway. But if the problem is the hot water heater, just forget giving anybody a bath upstairs, there won't be hot water up there either. Just send a note to school with your kids explaining why they're so dirty. Or...go to your married daughter's house for everyone's baths and showers and hope you don't overwhelm their hot water heater.
Brain freeze is not what happens when you eat ice cream-- it's what happens when you wash your hair in very cold water. If your brain is frozen you might feel dizzy. Hair warms up before your scalp does.
A new hot water heater costs about $500. Same with a new dishwasher. New underwear for everyone costs at least $50.
5-17-10
When you buy a second car, make sure it will seat your whole family or you'll have transportation problems when the larger vehicle is in the shop or you lose your keys for two weeks. You'll have to make two trips to get everybody to church, or ask somebody else for rides if your husband is the bishop and he forgets and drives the only car with keys to church for earlier meetings.
When one rear tire wears out and goes flat on your car you must buy two new rear tires. Same goes for the front tires. If by some chance it happens on both of your cars, you must buy a lot of new tires.
Tires cost about $100 each. Times 4 = $400 + tax.
5-22-10
You should order new glasses when they break the first time, you can only fix them with Super Glue or Shrink Tubing so many times. It takes time to get the new glasses and you can't drive without them. This will make it hard to get new ones. Well, you can order new glasses online IF you already have a prescription and your computer hasn't crashed.
You can live without a computer but pretty soon you feel like you've lost touch with far-away relatives you email and when/if you finally do get online again you will have lost all of your blog followers and you'll have so many of those FWD:FWD:FWD emails you may not be able to open your old email address anyway.
You should have more than one form of technology to communicate with family in case of fire, flood or an upcoming family reunion. If your computer crashes you could still use your cell phone. If the baby drops your cell phone in the toilet, hopefully by then you've replaced your computer. If not, be sure your husband also has a cell phone. If he takes it to work, well then try writing letters through the postal system-- if you have any stationary and stamps. You may have to go to the post office to buy these; here's hoping your new glasses have arrived and you can find your car keys!
Glasses with bifocal lenses cost $200. A computer costs $$$? (use the one in your husband's office). A cell phone has monthly fees (but is necessary with kids with special needs). A postage stamp is now 44 cents. To replace your car keys: $40 for a programmed key online, or $185 from the dealership including remote key fob and towing.
If you pray always you may eventually find your keys under a load of clothing waiting to be folded after that dryer back-up.
*Always have money saved for emergencies!
Friday, April 9, 2010
Updates
Okay, I'm going to have to just start where I am and not try to go back yet because time is so fleeting and I have so little of it when I can be upstairs on the computer because the kids are all downstairs during the waking hours and I need to be with them. They aren't awake yet so I'm going to take a few minutes and copy paste some notes I've taken on my iPhone the last few days...notes I've shared via weekly email with Lora who has just reached her halfway point on her mission in Chinatown New York.
Dear Lora,
I thought you might be interested in hearing some of the things Joel said recently:
4-2-2010
Immediately after seeing "The Princess and the Frog" for the first time, Joel said: "Wha'd ya think'a that story? Oh my goodness! A bad guy.... (more words close together)... I laughed, I cried, it moved me, Bob!"
4-3-10
"I need a job. I be KOOcumber--Larry."
4-5-10
In the back of the van while waiting for papa in the store (watching a movie) Joel said, "I need sit here," indicating Timmy's car seat. Timmy moved to Joel's car seat and Joel took Tim's seat while saying, "Oh thank you! Thank you Timmy! Thank you so much!"
He makes me laugh!
Love,
Mama
4-7-10
Joel uses more phrases to communicate now, I still have to ask him to repeat some things several times before I can figure out what he's saying, but not everything is a quote from a movie. If it seems to be a quote we can ask "what movie is that?" and he'll tell us. Joel's weight has been a concern, his thyroid medicine has been increased. We're wondering how much longer it will be until he requires a heart valve replacement. It's been five years and he has more than doubled in size; almost 80 lbs! He requires regular breathing treatments and lately sounds very bad...a cold on top of the asthma, not good together. I'm so glad to see the weather getting warmer for Joel's sake!
An update on Timmy:
April 7, 2010
I thought you might be interested in hearing some of the things Joel said recently:
4-2-2010
Immediately after seeing "The Princess and the Frog" for the first time, Joel said: "Wha'd ya think'a that story? Oh my goodness! A bad guy.... (more words close together)... I laughed, I cried, it moved me, Bob!"
4-3-10
"I need a job. I be KOOcumber--Larry."
4-5-10
In the back of the van while waiting for papa in the store (watching a movie) Joel said, "I need sit here," indicating Timmy's car seat. Timmy moved to Joel's car seat and Joel took Tim's seat while saying, "Oh thank you! Thank you Timmy! Thank you so much!"
He makes me laugh!
Love,
Mama
4-7-10
Joel uses more phrases to communicate now, I still have to ask him to repeat some things several times before I can figure out what he's saying, but not everything is a quote from a movie. If it seems to be a quote we can ask "what movie is that?" and he'll tell us. Joel's weight has been a concern, his thyroid medicine has been increased. We're wondering how much longer it will be until he requires a heart valve replacement. It's been five years and he has more than doubled in size; almost 80 lbs! He requires regular breathing treatments and lately sounds very bad...a cold on top of the asthma, not good together. I'm so glad to see the weather getting warmer for Joel's sake!
April 7
Timmy is pretty much the same little boy you knew except a little taller ; ). At 6 and a half he's still being fed through a g-tube and has very few words. New words: he says SiSi for Lucy and Vevy for Genevieve (his niece). I haven't heard him attempt Collin or Marshall's names yet. He eats little cups of Jello chocolate-banana pudding at school and will play with them at home and then leave them and one of the little girls will get into it and smear it all over the couch, etc (so glad we have vinyl couches--hurray for IKEA). He has been having his good eye patched at school because he shuts his left eye a lot (that one is nearly blind) but he seems to do it more with his glasses on. Eye appointment again on Monday. Timmy enjoys music, movies and attention from new people. He also loves new clothes! He's a loveable little boy.
Timmy is pretty much the same little boy you knew except a little taller ; ). At 6 and a half he's still being fed through a g-tube and has very few words. New words: he says SiSi for Lucy and Vevy for Genevieve (his niece). I haven't heard him attempt Collin or Marshall's names yet. He eats little cups of Jello chocolate-banana pudding at school and will play with them at home and then leave them and one of the little girls will get into it and smear it all over the couch, etc (so glad we have vinyl couches--hurray for IKEA). He has been having his good eye patched at school because he shuts his left eye a lot (that one is nearly blind) but he seems to do it more with his glasses on. Eye appointment again on Monday. Timmy enjoys music, movies and attention from new people. He also loves new clothes! He's a loveable little boy.
Here are some notes to keep you up to date with your little sisters:
April 7, 2010
Ella is so adorable with her short dark hair and upturned eyes, and is often mistaken for being a little "Chinese girl". She is in her own world most of the time. My heart breaks as I realize this. Much of the time she is spinning with a scarf (anywhere we go). If she doesn't have a scarf, she spins and flaps anyway. It's almost impossible to keep her dressed as she strips as quickly as I can dress her (dressing is very difficult). She often bounces in her crib to fall asleep. At 4 years and 4 months she still has no language except "Doh" and "no". Ella enjoys movies and smiles at them and moves to the music. Sometimes she imitates another child crying but has little interest in playing with her little sister. She doesn't cooperate with holding a hand to walk with us (although that's a tiny bit better), she prefers to walk on her own (run away indiscriminately, heading straight into danger) and doesn't respond or come when we call her. We have to show her her food and then set it down for her to come to it on her own--she doesn't want us to touch it or hand it directly to her. Still not wearing her glasses, she looks at everything sideways and her eyes are beginning to cross again. Ella is familiar with certain Primary songs and will do the actions and fold her arms when we pray. She does love hugs from those she knows best! Ella will wrestle with Timmy and is often the aggressor in that game. Ella has a lot of melt-downs, this also a behavior they've reported at school. She chews on everything, eating paper, etc... I think it could be that her long-time loss of hearing has caused her separation from most activities with other children and her odd behaviors. It's hard to tell. My heart is deeply wrapped up in this child.
April 3, 2019
Lucy isn't going to be a baby much longer! She took one independent step today, several times. She has been standing on her own for two months. She can squat and stand back up again, and she cruises along the couch. She's still not able to get down off the couch the right way (feet first, on her belly) and has a scab on her nose and a bruise on her forehead right now to prove it. She got at least four new teeth in March (that was rough!!). Her vocabulary contains the words "up", "uh-oh", "num-num", "papa", "mama", "aboo". (for peekaboo). She's been signing "more" for at least two months and doing patty cake motions, and can now also do some of the motions to the songs "popcorn popping on the apricot tree" and "I'm So Glad when Daddy Comes Home". Lucy has a spunky personality, is funny and demands face to face interaction most of the time. She takes two short naps a day and loves to be in the mix with the other kids! Getting her to not grab or scratch our faces and pull our hair is the biggest challenge... and she doesn't like to ride in her carseat! Lucy's smiles are continually joyful.
Lucy isn't going to be a baby much longer! She took one independent step today, several times. She has been standing on her own for two months. She can squat and stand back up again, and she cruises along the couch. She's still not able to get down off the couch the right way (feet first, on her belly) and has a scab on her nose and a bruise on her forehead right now to prove it. She got at least four new teeth in March (that was rough!!). Her vocabulary contains the words "up", "uh-oh", "num-num", "papa", "mama", "aboo". (for peekaboo). She's been signing "more" for at least two months and doing patty cake motions, and can now also do some of the motions to the songs "popcorn popping on the apricot tree" and "I'm So Glad when Daddy Comes Home". Lucy has a spunky personality, is funny and demands face to face interaction most of the time. She takes two short naps a day and loves to be in the mix with the other kids! Getting her to not grab or scratch our faces and pull our hair is the biggest challenge... and she doesn't like to ride in her carseat! Lucy's smiles are continually joyful.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Janina is home! Thanks for your prayers!!!
Janina's brush with death was scary for us all.
Marshall so tiny in Janina's hospital bed.
Precious baby boy needs his mommy.
Thank you Heavenly Father for sparing our new grandson AND our daughter!
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Marshall Alexander is born!
Janina had her baby boy on January 8th, 2010. He was born at 11:29 am weighing 7 lbs, 8.5 ozs and at 19.5" long. He is our fourth grandchild. I got to be in the delivery room along with Janina's husband Marty and my oldest daughter Milly.
Marshall is a miracle baby. He had some complications at birth but he's doing well now. We are rejoicing and praising the Lord. Honestly. I am SO grateful!!!
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