Our Sweet Katey

A conversation that took place a few weeks ago between Seth, Katey and Jen:

S: Katey, would you rather have a Peek-a-Poo or a pencil? (A peek-a-poo is a breed of dog that our kids are in love with at the moment)
K: A PEEK-A-POO. No, wait a minute. A pencil. Mommy, didn't you tell me that Aunt Shannon is allergic to cats and dogs?
J: No, Aunt Shannon is allergic to cats, not dogs.
K: But you told me it was cats AND dogs.
J: No, she is only allergic to cats.
K: But you told me...
J: I don't think I told you that, but I AM telling you now that it is only cats, NOT DOGS.
K: Okay Seth, then I would want a peek-a-poo. If Aunt Shannon was allergic to dogs then I would have chosen a pencil so she could still come to our house!
J: (Heart melting and so very proud of our daughter for loving others so well)

In the last couple of weeks Katey has been diagnosed with ADHD (primarily inattentive). This was not a big shock to us but we are still trying to get our heads around how best to help her. After the doctor's appointment where this was discussed and diagnosed, Mike was talking with Katey about ADHD - what it is, who else we know that may have it, and what it means that she has it. Mike asked Katey if she had any questions about their conversation. Her question? "Daddy, is it contagious?"

That is sweet in and of itself, but was made so much more sweet and amusing when I stopped into the school the next day to say hello to the kids during lunch. I was talking with Katey's teacher who wanted me to know that Katey's first words to her that morning were, "I have ADHD but don't worry, it's not contagious!"

I love this child so much!!

Trick-Or-Treat

Trick-or-Treat

Smell my feet!

Gimme something good to eat!!

Terrific!

While I would swear that I JUST posted about the first day of school, we have amazingly already completed the first 6 week grading period! And, that means it is teacher conference time. I always go into conferences with a mixture of excitement and hesitation. It really is a great time to see how the kids have been doing, but the pattern seems, in Katey's case, that is when we also find out what...um...less than productive habits have been displayed in the classroom.

We began with Katey's teachers (she has 2 this year - one for AIG Reading and Math classes and one for the rest of the subjects). As in years past, we got rave reviews on Katey's grades - all A's, even in the AIG classes!! And, just as in years past, we got less than stellar reports on attentiveness, focus and writing. None of that was a surprise, but we continue to struggle in knowing how best to motivate Katey to do things she doesn't like doing, like writing about small moments during Writer's Workshop. Sigh. So, while we work on motivation we also give high praise for a wonderful grade card!!

I have to admit that I was nervous about Seth starting school and what life would be like helping him learn. Educational things come very easy for Katey - the girl taught herself how to read at age 4 and figured out multiplication and FRACTIONS on her own in 1st grade! Seth has never seemed to have the love of learning that Katey does and I figured there would be a lot more work on our end to keep him on grade level.

Boy was I wrong.

We had a wonderful, praise-filled conference with Seth's teacher! He got all high marks on his report card (no letter grades until 3rd grade around here, so he got all 3's and S's)! And his teacher went on a on about Seth's reading skills and that his reading level increased over the summer. The biggest critique that she had was that Seth needs to talk MORE in class!!! And, to add icing to the cake, Seth received the Principal's Award for October for staying on task in class! He got a little goodie bag and certificate for that.

We are so very proud of our little learners!!

Healthy Motives

Seth has been on a health kick lately. He has frequently requested "only healthy food" for lunch or dinner (though pancakes for breakfast is perfectly acceptable to him!) and even passed over dessert after some meals. He wants to get lots of exercise and has shown us how to do all kinds of new stretches that our adult bodies would NEVER be able to conform to!! Seth has seemed to be fixated on getting stronger and often shows off his ever-increasing muscles.

Just this morning, as I was packing his lunch for the day, Seth decided that he would eat a healthy banana for breakfast and it was okay if I also packed one in his lunch. He asked that all the food in his lunch be healthy and even decided to replace the lemonade Capri-Sun with a bottle of water! I don't know how long this phase will last, but I am liking it!

What is the reason for this new-found desire for health and strength? In his own words and a twinkle in his eye, "Mommy, I want to get strong enough to throw DADDY in the river!!!!"

We're Cruisin' Now!

Our family, along with Grammy Nancy, got to spend a fun-filled week on board the Carnival Inspiration cruise ship!

We headed to Cocoa, FL to spend a couple of days with Jen's grandparents and to visit with Mike's extended family in Titusville. From there we made our way to Tampa to board the ship and start our oceanic journey!

Good-bye Tampa!

All of us enjoyed 5 days of cruising and spending time in Grand Cayman and Cozumel. Here are some of the things we learned during our trip:

#1 - Seth LOVES to dance! And, as Mike put it, what he lacks in rhythm he makes up for in enthusiasm and energy!! Check out this little video clip of the kids doing the Cupid Shuffle:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTk3ODMLRpI

One of the highlights of the trip for Seth was getting this trophy:
There were 2 dancers who performed one night and called up people to participate. Seth was one of the lucky participants and, in his own words, "I danced so good that the older guy didn't even stand a chance against me!" Such a modest child!

The dancers also spent time with the kids in Camp Carnival a couple of days teaching some dance moves. Here the kids are with Otto, the hip-hop, robot-style dancer. He was really great with them!!

#2 - Katey really never tires of eating cheese pizza! Pretty sure she had it at least once a day and sometimes twice a day!

#3 - Dolphins feel really soft and not at all slimy or scaly. We got to pet, kiss, dance with and hug a dolphin in Grand Cayman. Katey wasn't too sure about touching Cappy, our dolphin friend, but the rest of us really enjoyed this experience (though the hundreds of razor-sharp teeth were a bit unnerving for Jen!) No cameras allowed, but here is a shot of the pool area we were in.

#4 - Turtles know how to dance. This one is Raising The Roof with Grammy!
We visited a turtle farm in Grand Cayman and got to touch and hold the smaller sea turtles. We learned that if you rub under their chins/necks they calm down for a minute or so which makes holding the flapping little critters a bit easier. Again, all of us really enjoyed this experience except Katey who refused to hold a turtle but was coerced into touching one!

#5 - There are icebergs in Cozumel, Mexico!
Okay, not real icebergs, but Katey and Mike both scaled this one. If you look closely you'll see Katey on the right side and Mike and Seth in the water under her. She made it to the top 2 times!!


We spent time at Paradise Beach and there were lots of fun things to do like jump on a water trampoline, go down a huge inflatable water slide, snorkel and dig in the sand. The kids found lots of coral on the beach as well as coconuts! Seth enjoyed digging in the sand with his found coral!

#6 - Magic is fun for the whole family...but especially the kids! There was a magician that came to our table each night at dinner to do some little tricks for the kids. They looked forward to this every day!!

#7 - The top deck of the ship can get very, VERY windy sometimes.

#8 - If your room is on the lowest deck you can usually beat the elevator if you just walk.

#9 - If you walk instead of using the elevator your legs get very sore the first few days of the cruise!

#10 - Being on a cruise with Grammy and the kids was SO MUCH FUN!!!!

Blink

Friends warned me this would happen and I didn't believe them.
Relatives warned me it would happen and I didn't believe them, either.
Now I have succumbed to the group of wise(r) parents and warn others that I come into contact with...

Time flies and kids grow up faster than you can possibly imagine.

It hit me the other day - we are no longer parents to little kids. How did that happen?? I look back and think of all the hours, days time I spent wondering how I would make it through the day until Daddy got home and could help with our little crazies angels. Sometimes it felt as though they would never get big enough to _________ (use the potty, dress themselves, play unattended for 2 minutes in another room, go to school...). Wiser parents would say that I should cherish those times as they would quickly fly by. I'm pretty sure I secretly wished for that to be true in each moment. And then it happened.

Blink!

Somehow we have gone from diaper bags and strollers to backpacks and bikes. Bottoms no longer need wiping and Dora the Explorer has been replaced with The Electric Company and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Board books have given way to chapter books and early bedtimes are pushed back for fun on the Wii or with family games.

We discovered recently that Katey is now too big for restaurant play-places. It was a sad day this summer when she had to watch Seth and his friends play while she sat and finished her lunch. How did she get so big?

I don't want to leave this post with a lamenting feel. While gone are the days of free baby ice cream cones and naps every afternoon, we are experiencing some of the fun of having big kids. We can all ride the big rides at Carowinds this year and have thoroughly enjoyed the Gold Rusher again and again! We can now allow the kids a little independence of playing outside alone with friends (with certain restrictions, of course). And, we get free labor help teach responsibility through chores like sweeping the kitchen floor.

I'm looking forward to watching the kids grow more and more...and learning how to become a parent to big kids. I'm guessing that about the time we think we have a handle on that...

Blink!

Busses, Bikes and Floats

For the last couple of weeks I have been humming a very catchy tune: "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!" We had a fantastic summer but the start of the school year is always a fun and welcome event for the whole family! So, here are the kids on the first day of school - our big 4th and 1st graders:School starts early around here - Mike and the kids were at the bus stop by 6:40 AM!
Of course, with the start of school comes the rush of GERMS and 3 of the 4 of us are getting over the yuckies around here. Seth was home sick on Friday with his signature "Seth Cough" but we let him play outside that evening to get some fresh air. He decided that riding his bike would be fun...until he flipped over the handle bars, didn't let go of the bike, hit the pavement and had the bike land on top of him! Thank goodness he was wearing a helmet. Our poor little Sethy. He refused to let us take any pictures that evening, but this one was taken the next day. What you don't see is the scraped elbows, chest, back and leg...

After such a traumatic evening we were happy to have something more fun to take part in the next morning. Thanks to one of Mike's co-workers, Grammy and Katey got to be in a parade!! Seth, Mike and I watched the fun from the sidelines and picked up lots of candy. Here are shots of Katey passing out candy in the parade and Grammy waving from the float:

Even though Katey spent more time walking than riding on the float, she was ecstatic to be in a parade and make other kids happy with her fist-fulls of goodies!