10

Happy 10th Birthday to my little girl. I can't believe that you are already 10 years old. It seems like just yesterday we brought you home from the hospital. I sit here in shock as I look at pictures of you from the last 10 years. You have grown so much, way too quickly -right before our eyes. My round faced little cherub is starting to disappear. She is turning into a beautiful young lady. I am proud of you and the person that you are becoming. I love that while you were home sick from school this week you sat there and read 150 pages in your Harry Potter book. I love that you can't wait to read the next and final book. I love that even though you are the least experienced girl on your softball team you want to learn more and you want to be a better player. I believe you will, because I believe in you. I love that even though you complain about your brothers ALL the time, you stood in the front yard and yelled at the little girl down the street who was mean to them. Because even though you guys fight with each other, it is not OK for someone else to treat them wrong. I love that you like to watch Bones with me. Even when I get grossed out you never look away. I love that you want to be a forensic pathologist even though you will have to go to a "gazillion years of school". I love that you chose EMT as your job in your classroom so that you can take care of your classmates who are sick or injured. I love that when I was sick this past weekend you kept piling the blankets on me to keep me warm. I love that you always want to take care of others. Because that is the type of person you are.

I love you. Happy Birthday Emily!

A Family of Superheroes

My Silly Superheroes

Drew is already soaked from walking outside.

My little pumpkin cheesin on the porch

Alex, Emily, Drew and cousin Jodi at Trunk or Treat

Emily and Jodi with our Pumpkin man

Susan, Fred and Jodi. Nice look for Fred don't you think?

Emily and Jodi

The back of Supergirl's hair


Hope everyone had a safe and warm Halloween. Ours was cold and rainy. Much better than our loved ones in the Northeast! We let the boys pick the costumes this year and we were superheroes. Not as fun as princesses and Star Wars, but still cool! They had a lot of fun. We went to Trunk or Treat at our cousins church and had fun as we always do when we see them. We are so grateful that they invited us to tag along . Monday night we trick or treated in our neighborhood. The weather was less than desirable and Andrew and I are already paying for it. It was a nasty night, but we still went out. The kids were already sad that Daddy had to work. This is the first Halloween he hasn't been there. So I figured if I said we couldn't go they would be really unhappy. We actually walked around with a little boy who lives down the street. He was dressed as Josh Hamilton from the Texas Rangers. He is his idol, for those of you who don't know he is also from here! Caleb is about 12 and was quite the help bringing a flashlight and everything. He is a great kid and the boys love him. Many houses were not handing out candy so I thin we went to 10 houses or so. The kids still had fun! When the night was over we had a total of 4 trick or treaters. One baseball player, one Batman, one Iron Man and one Supergirl. I think Billy's guys that work for him will be eating a lot of candy this week!

First quarter down, three to go

As you can see we have been busy around our house. The kids just finished their first nine weeks as a kindergartner and a fourth grader. Drew has adjusted so well and I have to say he has surprised us all. We knew he had it in him!His teacher had nothing but great comments on his report card and he is at or above grade level in every area. She said his behavior is wonderful, he plays well with others and has developed great friendships. He is so funny. He came home the other day and said "Mommy I am friends with almost everybody in my class. " I said why aren't you friends with everybody ? And he replies .... "Well there is this one little boy, his name is Christian, and well, umm he likes to give people the finger in class." I told him that it was ok if he wasn't friends with him. he shouldn't be mean to him , because that wasn't right, but that I wouldn't be mad at him if he didn't go out of his way to be friends with him. I wanted to say really? A five year old? His teacher is really sweet and as Drew says really really tall. She says that Drew is one of the sweetest boys in the class. Apparently he also likes to share his dance moves with the class, so I might be just a little embarrassed by that. Every day that he was on track out he would say have I done my homework yet ? I don't want my teacher to be mad at me. He is too cute sometimes. Seriously, I always knew he could do it, I just wish he could try a little more at home.

Emily has started AIG classes for reading and writing and I hope is enjoying the challenge. I have to say that I am a little disappointed in the program that they offer. I guess because of budget cuts they meet for three days every three weeks, not a lot of continuity if you ask me. She also did well on her report card getting all 3* and 4's. For those of you not used to our ridiculous system that we use here in Wake county that means she is above grade level in everything. She loves her teacher and is having a ball with their classroom economy system they are using. They all have jobs, checking accounts and bills. They have to pay rent for their desk privileges and if they can't or don't they lose them. It is great to see the kids take such an interest in the way a business or household is run and how to stay afloat. The kids keep coming up with new business ventures and ways to earn extra money. Everything from selling homemade bookmarks and artwork to making duct tape bracelets, or making popcorn balls. They had an auction the other day and Emily sold some artwork for $1000. That is more than her monthly rent. Emily is the class EMT and gets to carry around the first aid kit when they go to recess. She is also in charge of "transferring" all the sick kids from class to the office if the need arises.

We have been extremely busy with fall ball. Spring baseball and softball ended in July and we started again mid August. We are pretty much tied up 5 days a week. There are nights when I have to struggle to fit in dinner and homework, but that is okay. The kids are having a blast. They have both improved so much since they started in the Spring. Billy is working nights and has been since the second week in August. He works 7-7 Monday through Thursday. Which should say 5:45-8:00, because of travel time. It has been a big adjustment, for the whole family. There are so many things that went on over the summer that I haven't shared yet. Emily went to FL with her Great Aunt Kathy for a trip to Harry Potter world, we had a short but lovely trip to GA for a reunion with the Johnson clan, a baby shower for my cousins new and precious little boy Elias, Mom had another surgery for the malignant melanoma that keeps popping up on her face, Dad had some gross pterygium removed from his eye,I had surgery in August and Alex has an upcoming surgery this month . As you can see we have had a crazy packed summer and have so much to catch everyone up on. - Oh and I am having PC issues, so I am trying to link you to facebook for some pictures. Hope it works!

2011-2012 School Year

Meet the Teachers

Visiting one of the kindergarten rooms.

Emily and Andrew at their first Meet the Teacher night together.

Emily- soon to be a 4th grader

Posing in front of the wall made entirely of artwork that the students did last year. Pretty cool, it is one of my favorite things at the school.


We had Meet the Teacher night last night. It was Andrew's first time in the school for himself so he was extremely excited. We met one of the teachers who may teach him and she seemed really nice. The other track one teacher wasn't in the room when we were there. They do staggered entry here in NC in kindergarten. That means they go one day during the week and the teachers divide the kids up by skills and readiness between the two rooms. Then we find out on Friday who his teacher is and start the following Monday. He is just counting the days until July 11th!

We went and met Emily's new teacher. She seems really sweet. Unfortunately I am not as fond of Reapicheep, the class pet. He is a big nasty hairy rat. Not a hamster, guinea pig, or anything remotely fuzzy and cute, but a gross rat. Maybe Emily will misbehave and we will never be given the option of him coming home to our house. I can just see the boys letting that rat loose in my house. I think with Emily's track record I better start preparing myself for an overnight stay.

Happy Memorial Day

Hope that everyone had a safe and happy Memorial Day. It was a beautiful day to remember those who serve our country. This who have served, who are still serving and those who have given their lives to protect freedom.

Our weekend was spent at Mom and Dad's house being lazy lounging about in the pool. It was nice. We really were just lazy. Coming right after both Emily and Alex being sick it was relaxing - just what the doctor ordered! School is winding down only one and a half weeks to go. I am sure we will have lots to report on these last few days!

Can I Get a Frequent Shopper Card?

They have rewards cards, discount cards, frequent shopper cards for just about everything now in this world. You can get them with airlines, grocery stores, gas stations, pharmacies, auto services, you name it and it is probably available somewhere out there. Lately I wish they had a "frequent visitor " card for the pediatrician's office. Maybe like a sandwich card you get at a sandwich shop. Buy ten sandwiches and you get one free. Between Alex and Emily we have been five times in the past three weeks. I am used to it with the boys , but not Emily.

We were in there two weeks ago with Alex. He was coughing and rattling when he was breathing. I was giving him his nebulizer, but he wasn't responding really well. So I took him in. We had been in there a few weeks before and he had been on an antibiotic for a sinus thing and drops for an ear infection. This time the first words out of the peds mouth were, when do you have to pick your daughter up from school? That good, huh? His oxygen levels were low so they immediately started more breathing treatments. After an hour and a half his levels came up and they sent us home with steroids. Two visits later, the start of a preventative inhaler daily, he was finally doing better. I can't believe how much better his breathing is since starting the Flovent.

On to Emily. Other than her digestive issues Emily really doesn't get sick that often. The boys are always passing some sort of cold/respiratory thing around, but it always skips over her. On the 9th we were at softball practice and I could tell something was up. Emily just seemed out of it. By 10:00 that night she was running a fever, could barely speak and complaining of her throat hurting. Monday we were in the peds office. I took her in first thing on Monday because it was not a good week to get sick. On top of the 3 softball games, 2 practices, and birthday party she would miss, she had EOG testing at school. They have spent all year talking about this testing and preparing for it and this is the week she gets sick. We were told it was viral and sent home. I kept her home on both Monday and Tuesday. I decided to send her on Wednesday which was the first day of testing. An hour in to it I got a call saying they had to pull her out of the room because she was coughing uncontrollably. She did finish the testing but I was advised it might be best to keep her home . Not only did I have to worry about her performance on the test, but how she was disturbing the other kids in the class. I certainly didn't want that to be the case. So I kept her home on Thursday and Friday when she still seemed to be getting worse we went in again. She had a severe respiratory infection and they didn't like the sound of her chest. This time we went home with an inhaler, a steroid, a Z pack, and cough medicine. We spent all weekend vegging on the couch. She went back to school yesterday and last night we went and cheered her softball team on to their second win. I didn't want her to run around and get winded so we watched from the stands. Hopefully she can play on Thursday, we will see. Today and tomorrow she has her make-up testing for her EOG's . I am worried that she may not be completely up to par. I hope that she does well, the teacher says I have nothing to worry about. We have three weeks left of school and I just want to make it through them healthy!

Nights at the Fields

This is how our nights have been spent the past few weeks. Between T-ball and softball we are tied up 5 nights a week. It has been fun . I love to see the kids play of course because I loved to play. On the other hand it has been really hectic getting in to the swing of things. Some days Emily gets off the bus at 4:30 and we have to leave at 5:15 for practice or a game. Get home 8:00, have to do homework and eat dinner, and the days we have two practices or a game or practice, well you get the picture. If Emily has a 7:30 game we don't get home until 9:30, did I mention it was a school night. We are finally starting to get used to things. But the kids are having a blast. Emily's coach and family actually live in our neighborhood, so Emily has a new friend. Andrew is enjoying making new friends and not paying attention. Let's just say the coach has his work cut out with that team of 5 year old little boys. Every time that Drew hits the ball he runs right past the pitcher to second base. He is so cute - typical of that age , but more in need of reassurance than Emily was. Every 5 minutes during practice he looks at me and waves at me. Like he is looking to me for me to say " Good job buddy" . It has been fun for the whole family. Andrew has his first game this Saturday, hopefully he can remember which direction first is in.