"Baby"

What does "Baby" mean you ask???

No we are not having another one;) This is the FIRST word that Jonathan learned how to spell!! I was talking to him and Hunter and we were saying Hunter is a baby and I asked Jonathan if he wanted to learn how to spell baby. He said yes so I sounded it out and he told me the letters. Then he went with Kevin and wrote it down and then he typed it the next day in an e-mail to Kevin!!!

The next words he wanted to learn how to spell???? "water slide"

Now, I know that all parents think their child is a genius but mine CLEARLY is!

Jonathan's surgery and lots of updates!

Jonathan had to have surgery last week to remove the umbilical cyst he has had since birth. He had to go under general anesthesia in case the cyst (which is normally only skin deep) went a little farther. Also I am sure so he did not freak out! The cyst did go in a little but not to far and the dr got it all out so it should not grow back. Jonathan missed his very first Friday of school so he was annoyed that he missed ice cream day. Typical Jonathan.

Jonathan is doing really well in Kindergarten. We had a little situation last week with "mean boys" on the school bus. Jonathan got off the bus one day and was really sad so he told me all about the boy who told him to move out of a seat, two boys who called him "stupid" and said to "stop talking" and a kid from his old soccer team who told him "to bring his trophy over to his house or he would not be his friend anymore."

I talked to Jonathan and said that he does not have to be friends with anyone who is mean to him! I also told him that he could tell his friend "I like you but I don't like it when you are mean to me. If you are not nice to me I am not going to sit by you on the bus anymore." Well, low and behold Jonathan actually told him that! We were pretty proud of him for having a problem, talking to us about it, listening to what we suggested and then actually doing it. Any chance we keep this up for the next 20 or so years??? Yeah I thought not!

I go to curriculum night at his school on Monday. His class has a web site and I think the teacher is supposed to post pictures on occasion. I don't want to post the info here but if you want it you can e-mail me and I will give it to you.

I also started back to school! On Thursday we had a meeting with all the three's, four's and five's teachers to go over the curriculum for this year and learn about the new web site for the preschool. Friday we had a continuing education (or for me just preschool education) class on Friday. We are required by the state to take 10 hours a year. I really enjoy them the lady that teaches them (well the ones we have gone to) is funny and personable so I told Kevin I am absolutely certain they are more fun then his CPA continuing education classes! Those are like watching paint dry!

Monday-Thursday of this next week I have teacher work week which is a meeting every day and then time to work in our classroom. I have a new co teacher this year. Stephanie is her name and I knew her some last year, I like her I think she is really sweet. She has been teaching that class for at least 5 years so she knows what she is doing I am happy about that! She also had 4 kids in 4 years so she can feel my pain when I come in in the morning barely squeaking in at 9 and I have a swirling tornado of children around me!

I will be teaching Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursdays this year. The kids will all (well except Jonathan of course) be in school only those days. That leaves us with Monday's for Hunter's physical therapy and Friday's for speech therapy. Yippie. They actually think that he will not need therapy for too long.

Cooper is working on potty training. He was completly opposed to it for some time now but just this weekend he is more into the idea. In fact a little while ago I was in the bathroom and he came running up and was banging on the door "I need to potty!!!" can I just say HORRAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We will keep you posted on that;)

Oh and on the food allergy front we realized that Hunter is also allergic to peanuts:( I am asking for prayers for me on this. I am just so sad for the boys and the fact that they have to deal with these allergies. Right now I am just so depressed about it and heartbroken for them. With Hunter it seems we keep finding new allergies:( So far we are allergic to dairy, peanuts, sunflower (which is the MOST popular vegetable oil and very rare! like freakishly rare:( ), we think he might be allergic to berries strawberries mostly (like his mama), and I am still not convinced he is not allergic to soy.

It is SO expensive to feed them too:( Hunter does eat super healthy though so that is at least the good thing. God has really blessed us though with Kevin's job and I think that is because he knew we were going to have these special children that needed special foods and therapy so he gave us the means to care for them in the best way possible. God is always good and He always gives us what we need huh?

People without kids

How do they know exactly the perfect way to raise children? How are they instilled with this knowledge?? How did I miss this? I feel completly ripped off that I never got this information before having MY children. It should would make life a lot easier now if someone would have told me all this before!

I went to the dr today to get some blood work done, well after the appointment Cooper pitched a fit about something, I don't even honestly know what, well I wanted to leave so I said "Let's go Cooper!" and he would not go with me. Okay, fine then "See you later! Have a great day!" (which works like a charm every time by the way) and walked over to the elevator where a pregnant woman was standing. She was looking in the direction of Cooper (who was just around the corner) muttering under her breath saying "Geesh, what is WRONG with that kid, good grief, etc...." with a look of total disdain. Well you know what sister he is three and that is normal behavior for three year olds, see you in three years and you can let me know what you think!

While I am ranting the other type of mother that drives me NUTS is the one who has one young child who knows everything about anything. "I will NEVER let little Jimmy have a cookie! I will NEVER bribe them! They are perfect and they will just always do everything I want." "We will play together for HOURS daily (as they look at you like you are the worst mother in the world when you say um yeah but I have 6 loads of laundry to do today) and they will read by 3" "We will NEVER play with loud, musical plastic toys because they have the best imagination..." "They will LOVE every fruit, vegetable and whole grain whatever I give them. McDonald's shall NEVER pass their lips."

Um hum... again talk to me in three years.

First Day of Kindergarten!

Today was Jonathan's VERY FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN!!! As you know we were so worried about how he was going to do! Well let me tell you he did SO GREAT! He just about ran onto the bus we were so proud of him! This morning he came into our room telling us "It's school day!!!" He got into bed with us as he does every morning and talked to us about school and how he was excited to ride the bus and how Mrs. Eifrd is very nice (that is he teacher he met her at meet the teacher day 8/7) and he is very excited to eat lunch in the cafeteria.

Kevin, Emma, Jonathan and I (Coop and Hunter were still sleeping) went to the school bus stop at the bright and shiny time of 7:05 and waited for a while for the bus. The kids ran around and played (he is the only kid at his stop) and when the bus could be seen at the corner they both were yelling "THERE IS THE BUS!!!"

Jonathan was very excited to see me when he got off the bus and he told me all about his day. Highlights are that "blue days" are when he goes to school and "red days" are when he does not, he did not get to play in the center he wanted to "because the other kids would not share," and the kid that sat next to him at lunch annoyed him because he would not tell him his name. So there you go that is Jonathan in a nutshell!

I did well enough today I only cried after he was on the bus and at every bus I saw for the rest of the day.. um... and the yellow Penske truck I saw too...

The other excitement for the day was that Hunter had a speech therapy evaluation. About 25 minutes after our appointment time they came out and said our insurance would not cover the diagnosis code that the pediatrician gave so for the next hour and a half I worked with the pediatrician's office and their insurance person trying to come up with some code to get the insurance to cover it. Seeing as he is 14 months old and only says "mama" and "dada" he needs to go! But I cannot pay for that out of pocket! So we finally figured it out and then they were still able to see him (2 hours after his appointment time mind you) for the two hour evaluation appointment! YIKES! However, I was pleasantly surprised because Emma and Cooper did great! I was so happy.

They did recommend therapy for Hunter (again no one was surprised about that) because he has the receptive language of a 9 month old and the expressive language of a 7 month old:( However, they seem to think that he is going to do really well and only need therapy for a few months which I am happy about!

He goes back next Monday for the second part of his physical therapy evaluation. They did recommend PT but I think they want to keep an eye on him until he is able to get in. He is going to the large Children's Hospital program here so it takes a while to get in. HE has weak trunk muscles and his muscles in his left leg are too tight so it is causing him to have some balance problems. They PT said that she needs to keep an eye on the one leg too to make sure that he does not have a hip problem. She obviously cannot be sure but she is doubtful that is what the problem is.

So there you go another crazy day here!

The letter to Jonathan was an idea I saw somewhere and I thought it was a good idea:)

Dear Jonathan

Dear Jonathan,

Today was your very first day of big kid school! I have been so excited for you that you were going to be able to do this big thing that you were so proud and excited to do but truth be told I have dreaded this day for a long time! You are my little sweetheart my "Monkey Moo" and I just knew that I was really going to miss having you with me every day. You are such a sweet boy and you are such a big helper you make me proud every day.

It seems like just yesterday that God blessed Daddy and me with you. I can almost feel your tiny little newborn body in my arms. I can see your sweet little baby face like you are still right there. To think that you are now big enough to go to school all day every day is just so sad and surprising! I just wonder where did all the time go?

I was so afraid that you were going to be scared of school. I have prayed over you my son nightly, I have prayed for you every day anytime the thought came into my head that school was coming soon. God has really answered that prayer! You were just so excited to go to school you pushed that fear you had away:)

As I watched you get on that school bus I was so proud of you because I know how scared you were and how you were able to get over that and see the excitement in front of you. I missed you every second of the day and I could not wait until it was time to go get you at the bus stop and ask you all about your day.

I treasure our special talking time together everyday because I treasure you my love. You are one of the best gifts that God has given to me and I thank Him for you every day.

I love you now, I love you always and I love you no matter what. There is nothing in this world that could ever make me not love you!

Love,
Mommy