Cardiology Checkup

I brought Elijah in for his routine 6-month cardiology check-up today. We've bought sooo much time with the cadaver valve that has been a part of his body since June of 2011, so with each passing check-up we expect to hear that "It's time!" I would not have been surprised at all if we'd heard those words today. In fact, I was mildly shocked when Dr. G told me everything was great! Wow! Another amazing report. He reviewed today's echo, along with the cardiac MRI that was done ten days ago. Heart function is good and pressures inside his heart are not yet in a concerning range. Sometimes if a valve is nearing the end of its life, an MRI will show thickened tissue that would indicate it is being stretched beyond its means. None of that is present. Praise GOD!

Elijah always amazes me with his total bravery when entering the hospital premises. If I were him, I'd be a mess! He, however, walks in confidently with a smile, flirting with the nurses and telling jokes to everyone. This kid is my hero. And so is his brother. I adore my boys!

Tonight before bed Sammy asked if we could go outside and peek at the moon. We went out just at dusk and we were able to see a few stars pop up in the sky. Sammy loves nighttime. He loves the lights that glow from people's houses. He loves the stars and the moon. Hand in hand, we took a walk together in the dark. It was precious. We promised each other that we'd take many more of those special nighttime walks.

Here's to another six months of cardiology freedom! YAY! :)

ps. BOTH boys' conferences went great this week! Dan and I are beyond grateful for the teachers they've been paired with and how well the year has started at the new school (minus some bullying which has quickly been addressed). Quick brag moment...Sammy is in the 99th percentile for math skills! Such a smart boy!

Love is in the house

It has been sad to say good-bye to winter break. I LOVED the precious time I got to spend with my boys and I was secretly so sad to drop them off at school on Tuesday morning after spending two and a half weeks together. Having my cuties within earshot and arm's length makes me a happy mama. There is certainly value in them going to school, but I adore my time with them. They won't be "little" forever so I relish every moment I can get.

Over break my boys decided it was time to watch Star Wars! We watched the first three movies together over the weekend and we all enjoyed them. The boys asked a TON of questions (so many that it was hard to hear what was being said most of the time) and they are excited about the next few. 

Sammy and Elijah have both lost teeth over the past few days, but Sammy's loss has added an extra lisp to his already cute lisp. I just love it when those top front teeth go missing. The cuteness is almost too much to handle.

Since break, Sammy has been extra into Mommy (lucky me!). Every morning (after getting dressed of course, because his is Mr. Responsible & Organized) the first thing he does is crawl into bed with me, usually after asking, "Anyone want some Sammy snuggles?!" And this is when the I-love-yous begin for the day. Lately he's been saying, "I love you more than you love me!" And I say, "Not possible!" And he says, "Always possible!" Repeat about 100 times. I love it!

While I'm on the Sammy topic, he has shown such incredible determination lately. This fall Elijah took a chess class at school and became really good at it. Sammy saw this and decided he needed to learn, too, so he watched his brother play and within a couple days he knew all the rules and could hold his own. I thought this was impressive! Then the other morning he decided that he needed to learn how to play the recorder since Elijah knows how. He asked E to teach him the notes and within 15 minutes could read music for and play Jingle Bells. Nice work, Sammy!

We are coming up on the time of year when we see a bunch of Elijah's specialists. Next week brings a couple appointments and we expect everything to check out fine. We have seen improvements in some areas and regression in others (like following directions). Sometimes I have to stop and remember all that he has overcome. It's amazing to consider how well he is doing in spite of the many big hurdles he has had to leap over! We are super blessed and have two amazing boys!

Elijah starts SKIING tomorrow, wooo! I'm buying Sammy a used pair of skis and boots tomorrow so we'll see if I can get them onto his feet without too much fuss. I hope you all have a warm weekend!

Croup: Season 9, Episode 2 (Elijah) and behavior/school updates

Apparently we are finding plenty to do because time is passing way too quickly. Life is full right now! We are managing everything ok, but Dan and I are starting to show signs of being over-extended and exhausted. I cannot imagine what it will feel like to be fully unpacked and settled in our house. We still have so much to do. And we're hosting Thanksgiving. And and and...it's always a million things. Last weekend we pulled out our RV to give it a final clean-out before storing it for the winter and it was bittersweet! That was our home for four months. We made incredible memories in it. Life was SIMPLE while we lived in it. It made me both happy and sad to pull everything out. We will say our official winter-goodbye this coming weekend.

Two nights ago I recognized a few signs that Elijah might get a croup episode. I said, "Croup alert tonight!" and sure enough, a couple hours later we heard the stridor. It was a mild case, but of course it's never fun. We gave him a tiny dose of oral steroids and Dan sat outside with him for a bit. After that he was just fine, minus a few sniffles and sneezes that he's had since.

We had Elijah's fall school conference today and it was great! He has the BEST fit for teachers this year. They take the "rough" times in stride and certainly know how to bring out the best in him. So far this year, Elijah has shown interests in a few new things! He loves science and music. He just got a new recorder and he has been practicing it faithfully and learning how to read music. We've had a few people tell us that he has begun opening up a lot at church (the boys go to a separate area from us) and he's even been dancing to worship music comfortably in front of everyone. I love it! I have always had a feeling that music would be the bridge that connected him to church and Jesus. His teacher told us tonight that he has made some meaningful friendships in class this year (all girls, of course). There are a handful of girls who help to keep him on track (LOVE this) and really look out for him and care about him. He is keeping up with school work just fine and knows way more than he believes he does.

As far as behavior is concerned, his teachers explained his school behaviors to us and they basically mimic his home behaviors. This is good because he's being consistent! He has good days and he has tough days. I can tell within two minutes of spending time with him in the morning which kind of day it's going to be. Good days are really good. He doesn't defy authority, he completes tasks without complaining and he is generally good-natured and kind to everyone. Most days are good days. Lately I'd say we get at least four of them/week. The tough days can be really tough. There is a lot of talking back and refusals to do anything that's asked of him. He seems to want to anger and provoke everyone around him. I'm sure the tougher days are related to not sleeping as well through the night, but we aren't sure what causes that. We got new comfy (BIG!) beds for both him and Sammy and have made their rooms safe, comfortable, dark and peaceful places. I know that sometimes anxiety intrudes his mind and it's so hard to stop once it starts. We just continue to give him consistent love and care and pray that over time the good days will happen even more frequently!

A Sammy Prank :)

Sammy is loving first grade. His classmates and teacher could not be a more perfect fit for him. He is SO. Smart. He puts together and solves math problems that I'm pretty sure 5th graders can't do. His handwriting is perfect, he aces all of his spelling tests and he never has to be told to do his homework. He is such a sweet, kind little soul. He always has been, but it's been fun to see that sweetness in him even when kids around him start talking about more mature things. Despite his sweet spirit, he has not lost his strong will. He can so easily get mad at any one of us for something as simple as being corrected when using bad manners. He gets SO MAD and can say hurtful things and even threaten to run away from home. His latest tactic is running out to my car when he's upset and sitting in it until he cools off. Smart! He always comes back in with apologies and love.

It's a busy season for us, but a fun one, too! There are so many good things coming together for our family. I have to learn to bite off just a little bit at a time and not expect everything to come together overnight! Thanks for peeking in.

A Letter to My Sweet Sammy

Dear Sammy,

Today isn't your birthday or any other special day. It's just a random rainy day in September and you happen to be on my mind. I visited your first grade classroom this morning and it always surprises me how excited I get when I see you. I had dropped you off at school only thirty minutes before, yet seeing your sweet self reading a book on the carpet was the highlight of my morning.

I always tell you how lucky I feel to be your mom and the other day when I said that, you replied in a typical thoughtful Sammy way: "If someone else was my mom, would you be jealous?" I totally would. I know I'm partial because I am your mom, but I'm grateful that I get to be around you so much because it's just so nice. Not only are you deliciously cute, you are also thoughtful, considerate, kind, complimentary, sweet, creative, clever, funny, witty, smart and snuggly.

Sometimes you will use a word that is well beyond your years or you will say something so thoughtful that I can hardly believe it just came out of your mouth. A few days ago you asked me to solve the math problem 1+1. When I said "two," you said, "Nope! The answer is Jesus, know why? Because Jesus is always the answer." Then last night you began worrying about tornadoes because this is something you worry about a lot (proof that you're my son). You asked me if there were a tornado nearby, would you be able to grab a few favorite things before finding safety? Then you said, "No, never mind. I won't need to grab anything because Jesus is all I'll need." I love that these truths are in the forefront of your mind and that they comfort you.

I want you to know what a gift you are, Sammy. Not just to me, your lucky mama, but to so many people. You are a good son, brother, student, grandson, friend, cousin and nephew. You light up everyone's life with your thoughtful words, cute lisp and generous snuggles. You complete your brother, just as he completes you. You and Elijah complement each other in such a special and unique way. Even teachers at school notice it. Yes, you have your daily "brotherly" moments, but I absolutely love the bond the two of you share. It is precious, rare and so wonderful.

I know you sense that sometimes Elijah needs extra attention from Daddy and me. Instead of getting upset about this, you help us out. There are times when you offer help and there are times when just being a good boy is the most helpful thing. I notice your patience and grace and I want to make sure you know that we see that.

For your entire life, you've been coming along to your brother's various appointments and therapies and you've never complained about sitting in another waiting room or taking another ride in the car. I think you've always known deep down that this is just how things are meant to be for our family. I want you to know that you are just as important as anyone else, Sammy. Elijah needs things that you don't, but you also need different things that he doesn't.

You are LOVED. Jesus loves you so much, Sammy. Daddy, Elijah and I adore you and you are Buddy's favorite pack-mate. You are a gem of a little boy and it's so much fun watching you grow into the person God has in mind for Sammy. I love you, sweet boy!

Love, Mom

Mother's Day 2016

Happy belated Mother's Day to all of you awesome women and mamas! Women make the world go 'round, right?! I had THE most fabulous Mother's Day this year. My boys spoiled me rotten and made my day very special. After breakfast in bed and receiving the most thoughtful cards and gifts (Dan is teaching these boys well!), we went to church and listened to an amazing sermon. After church we went to a nearby park and enjoyed yummy food while the boys and puppy played. It was perfect! I'm the luckiest mama and wife on the planet, hands down.

We have some big news! It is very big and very recent. So recent that almost nobody knows about it (surprise, Family!). We are putting our house on the market! Everything has happened really quickly, but we feel like this has been in the works (the PLAN) for a while. We want to sell ASAP, so this week we have frantically began cleaning, purging and packing. Today I got a good portion of the kitchen done. Painting and re-carpeting is in our near future.

Our near future seems very uncertain, as we have absolutely no idea what is about to happen in a few different realms. As always, we trust that the plan is in place and we are just living it out! It's exciting (and a little scary)!

Elijah has had a GREAT past few days, both at school and home. He has gotten a few super reports at school lately. So super that his teacher let him sit in her chair all day today! He was very excited about this. I stopped in both boys' classrooms today and it made me so happy to see such happy smiles on both of their sweet little faces.

One thing I've been wanting to write down so I never forget it is how Sammy does a muffled SCREAM when he loves something that he's eating. He says "MMMmmmmm!" as if he's screaming it, except with his mouth closed. It is the cutest thing.

Both boys have been extra snuggly and complimentary lately. I love these precious boys and I'm so grateful that God chose me to be their Mommy!

Have a great rest of your week! Thanks for peeking in.

Cool dudes, a field trip and a fun weekend!

Look at my cool dudes! Once the weather finally swayed toward the WARM end of the spectrum, Elijah and Sammy were excited to wear tank tops, shorts, sunglasses and Crocs! We are EXCITED for summer!

On Friday I went on a field trip with Elijah's class to the Minneapolis Institute of Art. It was fun! E's bff was in our group and it was so much fun hanging out with them. I love this picture of them snuggling as they looked up at the art on the ceiling of the atrium.

There were a handful of moments when these two got upset with each other, but it was all in love. They act so much like brother and sister. We are SO GRATEFUL for A and the patience she has for Elijah! She is a good friend.

Both boys started swim lessons this week and both of them did GREAT! Sammy was braver than I've ever seen him in the water. Kindergarten has given him confidence and courage that gets him through things like this. A year ago he never would have willingly dunked his head and attempted everything the instructor asked of him without tears. I'm so proud! Elijah did great, too. He dunked his head underwater at least six times and followed along better than ever before. I'm hoping both boys can graduate from their swim classes at the end of this eight weeks!

Buddy is learning SO quickly and we are all still getting to know each other. He has attended two puppy kindergarten classes and he is getting so much better with walks and leash training. He hasn't had an accident in our house in almost a week! He is still wanting to chew on everything, but we are getting wiser. At peak chewing times, we give him bones and raw hides that keep him occupied and also keep him from chewing our shoes and rugs to pieces. He really is such a good puppy! He isn't even four months old and he sits on command, stays on command, hardly ever barks (we've only heard him bark maybe 5 or 6 times in 3 weeks) and he loves his new pack. He loves to lick Elijah's face (E LOVES this!). When he is excited to see one of us, he wags his tail so hard that his butt wiggles and waggles back and forth. :) He is SO friendly with people and dogs. He found a new pup friend in the neighborhood that he loves named Carter. This morning he saw Carter and his owner walk by and he looked longingly down the street at them and whimpered (we missed saying hello) until they were out of sight.

Today we brought the boys to Lake Ann for some sun and play time. It felt great! Elijah had an allergic reaction to something floating through the air, but we managed it with allergy meds. It feels so good to be able to get out and enjoy the outdoors again. We love spring!

Sammy lost a tooth last week and Elijah lost one tonight. The Tooth Fairy has to get things together! This week we are praying for health, as well as further progress in the puppy realm so I can actually get some work done during the day. Thanks for peeking in!

Our little teachers

Have I shown you the boys' haircuts yet? I don't think I've taken pictures of them since all their hair was chopped off! Here is the back of Sammy's head at his kindergarten music program last week..

Being in this small group was the only time he participated in actions. I suppose he figured that not participating when in the spotlight would make him the center of attention even more. When he was in the masses on the stands, he sang the songs but did NOT participate in hand or body movements. That's our Sammy! The cutest little bumblebee ever!

We have all been healing this week. I mean, I have been healing this week! Everyone else has been doing great! We are all super excited for our waterpark trip that begins tomorrow after school. This will be our sixth annual waterpark adventure!

Elijah has had another super week at school! We are so happy about the reports that have been coming home. I have been trying to spend as much time at school as possible and I like to think my hugs help.

Today after school we had Elijah's BFF over for the first time in a few weeks (due to the crazy sickness). She approached me privately and told me that there is another girl in their class who has been getting in the way of Elijah and A's friendship. Today at recess when A was pushing Elijah on the swings (how sweet is that??), this other little girl came up and said, "I'VE got this taken care of....you can leave, A." So after A told me this story I explained that Elijah truly cherishes their friendship and that she just needs to talk to him about this. So A said, "Elijah! I need to talk to you!" E said, "What did I do? Am I in trouble? Are you mad at me?" :) I sat on the sidelines and listened to their chat. A told him her concerns and Elijah replied in the most mature way I ever could have imagined. His response was better than anything I could have come up with! He said, "A....that other girl is my friend. I like her, but I don't like her as much as I like you. You are more important to me. Tomorrow I will talk to her and straighten everything out." She kinda sat speechless (as did I) and I jumped in and expressed how proud I was of both of them for communicating so well and sorting through an issue. It was awesome! I love that E and A are such great buds and that they complement each other so well.

For the past few mornings the boys have been playing "school" before Dan and I get out of bed. They are awake by 6:00 and either play quietly in their room or in the loft until 7:00 when we get breakfast ready. A few mornings ago I walked into a "classroom" where Elijah was teaching a handful of stuffed animals about sea creatures, while Sammy had a few students pulled out for reading. It was seriously the sweetest thing. I couldn't believe the organization involved and the dedication to the project. I took the above video later that afternoon....still dedicated to teaching their students!

If Sammy becomes bored in the morning before 7am, he has been coming to my side of the bed and asking to get into bed with me. This is NOT typical, but I have loved it. A few mornings ago he said, "Special DELIVERY! SAMMY SNUGGLES coming INNNNN!" Once I had my arms wrapped tightly around him in bed, he said, "Mommy? At the end of the day at school when we do circle-up, I'm going to say that my favorite part of the day was THIS. Snuggles with you are the BEST!" He always asks me to squeeze him tighter tighter TIGHTER!!!! This morning as I was squeezing as tightly as possible without suffocating him, I told him that I had to get in the shower. He said, "But you smell so good! PLEASE don't wash that delicious smell off you!" Oh that boy..he melts my mama heart.

Have a great rest of your week! We'll be back early next week!

Croup: Season 6, Episode 2 (Samson) and a busy weekend

Our weekend was packed with fun things and fun people and when it was all wrapped up we were pleasantly exhausted. We enjoyed an evening away from home on Saturday night. We brought the boys to some friends' house and they loved exploring new territory. Sunday we had two of my awesome cousins over to watch the Super Bowl, as well as Elijah's bff. It was a huge success! Everyone had a great time and we stuffed ourselves with calorie-laden snacks.

I'm a few days behind in posting about this, but Sammy got croup a few nights ago. It was mild and we managed it with oral steroids, a steamy bathroom and Mama snuggles. As usual, the stridor lingered for a few days but never became severe.

We are ALL at different stages of sickness that just will not seem to totally go away. I got hit with another round of congestion over the weekend and now Dan has been hit, as well. I'm ready for total health for us! Elijah has been the healthiest of all of us this winter.

I am loving being able to work from home and really focus on my food blog. Dan has had some work drama that has added a bit of stress to our lives. Elijah is doing mostly well in school, with rough patches here and there. After a routine appointment to his developmental ped last week, we are going to increase anxiety med dosage again. Sammy is as sweet and sassy as ever, giving me TONS of "love" letters and snuggles and then telling me what a horrible mom I am in the next breath. Ugh.

That's us in a nutshell! I hope you are all healthy and starting your week off great!

Slopes and snuggles

One week of 2016 is done! My week started off a bit rocky after catching Sammy's little sickness and also struggling getting back into the swing of things. After two weeks free of a schedule and a totally crazy holiday month, it was almost like I was experiencing Holiday PTSD. The week improved and we are getting back into the groove. By WE I mean ME because everyone else in my family seemed to bounce back without a problem! :)

Elijah is now officially a snowboarder! I signed him up for Courage Kenny's adaptive skiing/snowboarding program and so badly wanted to get him into skiing. I started skiing when I was a kid and I always envisioned my boys skiing young, too. The only openings available were for snowboarding, but I signed him up anyway. Guess what! The location they placed him at is THE SAME ski resort where I learned to ski as a kid. As I stalked Elijah and his instructors today, I discovered that he was learning how to snowboard on the EXACT same hill I learned to ski on. I couldn't help but get nostalgic and a little emotional. It's so crazy how things work out! Who would have ever thought.

I was worried that Elijah would be anxious about snowboarding, even though he seemed pretty excited about it beforehand. He did way better than I ever could have imagined. He liked having a hand helping him most of the time, but toward the end of the lesson (in the FREEZING cold) he went hands-free for a few seconds both on the way down the hill and on the "magic carpet" ride up. He was so genuinely excited about today and the progress he made. Eventually they will get him on a chair lift and possibly use a tether rope to help get him down some bigger hills. I'm so proud of him for being adventurous and willing to try new things!

I've been working on Sammy. Every time I ask him if he would like to ski with me he screams NOOOOOOO! Now that I've got Elijah on the slopes, I may just have to trick him. Sorry, sweetie, but you'll thank me later. He has started saying this week that he wants to learn how to ice skate, so I'm going to leap on that and get that boy in skates!

Dan left town for work today and will be gone through Wednesday, so the boys and I have some quality time on our hands. Today we got home from Afton and Sammy and I both CRASHED. Hard. Shockingly, Elijah (who should have been the most tired of all of us) stayed awake for an entire Curious George special. After that was a very snuggly pizza-movie night where Sammy kept insisting, "SNUGGLE ME HARDER, MOMMY!"

That Sammy. I still call him Sweet and Sassy (like the bbq sauce) because is the SWEETEST boy, but can also be the SASSIEST boy. He pushes his little limits and can get so upset when we stand firm with rules. It's like he can't help getting so worked up and mad about being told what to do and does/says things that go against his sweet nature. After a bit of time, he always feels bad and asks for snuggles. "Mommy, I'm moving to the other side of the planet! Please snuggle me!" :)

Elijah had a GREAT week at school, yay! Our new med dose was a good call and the transition time occurred over break...just in time for school, which was perfect. He got "great" reports every day this week. His teachers said that he was engaged and stayed on task and had a great attitude all week.

That's all for now! Have a great rest of your weekend and thank you for stopping in!

Successful surgery!

Surgery went great! It was successful and actually quite painless. Elijah was SO brave about the two things he is typically anxious about: the mask and the tape. We talked to him a lot about the mask beforehand and let him choose between needle (IV) or mask. He agreed that the mask was the best option of the two. Dan went back to the OR with him and said that he had the best going-to-sleep experience yet. Normally he fights it and needs to be held down, but was much calmer this time. He also usually becomes very upset when we take the tape off his arm that is holding his IV in place. Apparently some genius invented a painless tape (WHY wasn't this invented 10 years ago?), so Elijah didn't flinch a bit when the tape came off!

Despite all of that good news, he actually was quite anxious before surgery this morning. MUCH more anxious than he ever has been before. He expressed worry so many times. He even said things like, "THEY'RE GONNA KILL ME!" and "I'M NEVER GONNA LEAVE THIS PLACE!" We did a lot of distracting with toys and playing and a service dog even stopped into snuggle with him.

Starting to get a little loopy from the Versed.. :)

Immediately upon waking up, Elijah lifted up his left arm and saw that an IV had been placed after he was sedated. He loudly said, "WHAT?!?!?!?!" We all laughed. He sure was disappointed to see that thing in his arm!

After surgery he was NOT feeling well at all. He kept feeling like he was going to throw up and was just seeming uncomfortable. Dan left to get Sammy off the bus and Elijah immediately fell asleep and HARD. If he wouldn't have been hooked up to the monitor I would have worried that he wasn't breathing. That boy slept harder than I think I've ever seen him sleep. An hour and a half later I woke him up so we could go home. He literally could barely talk or walk! I pushed him in a wheelchair to the bathroom and he was able to go without screaming (unlike last time). Yay!

We had a short evening together at home and then Elijah ASKED for bed. He started crawling into bed without his pajamas and actually got mad because bedtime was taking tooooo looooonnggggg! He had some more nausea before bed, but totally crashed again and has been sleeping like a rock.

We have some daily obligations to perform for the next six months to ensure this surgery is a complete success. Please pray for that, as I don't know it is going to be a super comfortable thing for our boy. Hopefully it won't be too big of a deal.

I missed Sammy extra today! I told him that and he asked me to come sit on the blue chair with him. As I snuggled him tightly, he said, "Mommy? You know why I asked you to snuggle? Because I heard you say that you missed me and I wanted to make you feel good." I love that boy. I love both of my boys! Super proud of both of those cuties!

I am tired and I apologize, but I'm not going to re-read through the post and make corrections tonight! Dan is leaving for a work trip in the morning, so relaxation calls! Thanks for the prayers and we would so appreciate continued prayers for minimal pain and for this ordeal to be successful. Thank you!

On Charlotte 2015

Our time in Charlotte with my dad and stepmom went by way too fast. It always happens that way, I suppose since we are in the good company of family. The second we pulled in their driveway, we felt right at home (as always). My stepmom had the perfect beds prepared for each of us. I got a bedroom ALL TO MYSELF....complete with comfy bed, pillows and a fan. And across the house from the boys. I slept great! All of us slept well!

The morning after we arrived, all of the boys dressed up as cows so they could get a free breakfast at Chick-Fil-A. I love this picture! :) Gramps is such a good sport. (By the way, we barely got Sammy in this outfit and out the door looking like this.) 

The boys got to watch TWO movies in the theater while we were there. Inside Out for the first time (they loved this one soooo much and are still talking about it daily) and Minions for the second time. Check out these cozy recliner movie theater chairs!

We checked out a local museum one day. The boys had fun running around. Here they are doing "creepy bug faces."

Bath time! Washing off the sunscreen and sweat from the day!

While we were there, my dad/stepmom offered to watch a friend's dog for a few days. They have a dog of their own (Juan), but (sorry Juan!) he's a little bit grumpy and old. Elijah and Sammy were SO excited for Daisy to arrive! Oh my goodness, they were squealing and running in circles when she came up to the door for the first time. She is an old dog, too, but she is so laid back and gentle. The boys and I adored her.

Before we left, Sammy drew this picture for Juan and hung it by his bed in the living room. "So he will remember me!" :)

The boys did story time with Grammie and Gramps every night. A special end to every day!

We went to the Lazy 5 Ranch again this year and this time we drove through it in the car. We drove along the winding path through tons of wildlife, feeding them, talking to them, telling them to GET AWAY, squealing, but loving the entire adventure. We were told NOT to feed or pet the zebras, so Sammy dissed this guy right away.

I loved feeding a giraffe from the sunroof. He was by far the most gentle creature we encountered during the entire adventure. He accepted the food gingerly, almost with gratitude. We all loved him!

Elijah and Grammie, playing on the ship at Lazy 5!

We made it to their community pool 3 or 4 times. The boys had a blast! They loved their swim noodles and time in the water. Sammy began "swimming" (with the help of his floatie and a noodle under his armpits) across the entire pool by himself...kicking, paddling with his hands and all! I was so proud of my boy! He is becoming more adventurous all the time!

When we went to the park by their house, instead of playing on the swing or slides, Sammy started picking up garbage. I asked what he was doing and he said, "I HAVE to clean up this litter! Is there a recycling bin around here?" That's my organized, thoughtful Sammy. As we got in the car to leave, he saw a stray piece of garbage he had missed and felt terrible about leaving it behind.

I love making memories with my precious boys and my parents. This summer's trip was so much fun. We get to see Grammie and Gramps again this coming weekend in Iowa and we are all excited for it. Dan and I constantly express gratitude about our boys have such loving grandparents. Thank you, DAD and PAULA for being so kind, gracious and selfless! We love you guys and love that you let us invade your home without a single complaint.

We drove back to Louisville for a QUICK night after our time in Charlotte, and drove the rest of the way home the following day. It was a long one! The last few hours were rough, involving potty in pants, a smelly car, a VERY windy car ride, VERY loud and excited-to-be-home boys and a VERY crabby mama. I literally pulled into our driveway, got out of the car (without closing the door) and ran inside to ask Dan for HELP. An hour later we were all feeling much better (and sleeping).

This coming week is a busy one for us. Hoping you are doing well and thank you for peeking in!

Goose Egg

Yesterday morning after Sammy and I got home from running errands, my phone rang. It was Elijah's school and as always, my heart sank when I saw the number pop up. This time, though, I heard something I did not quite expect! When E was walking into lunch from recess, a classmate accidentally ran into him which sent Elijah's forehead straight into the corner of a wall. He got a nice goose-egg and cut on his sweet head.

When the nurse called, she was concerned about Elijah not being able to tell her what exactly had happened. I think she was mistaking his inability to articulate under pressure as a concussion. After chatting with him for ten seconds over the phone, I assured her that he was just fine. When Sammy and I walked into the nurse's office ten minutes later, my sweet Elijah was crying uncontrollably. When he saw me, he said, "I WANT MOMMY!" and cried even harder. Then, "HOLD ME, MOMMY!"

He was fine. He was in a bit of pain (it's an impressive goose-egg!) and I think he felt a little embarrassed about the fall. Sammy and I loaded him up on LOVE...lots of hugs, gentle kisses and an afternoon movie. This morning he was back to new, minus a slightly bruised forehead.

The boys and I have been having a great week (minus the fall, of course)! We have played a lot of games, done tons of tickling and laughed a lot. We miss our Daddy this week and we can't wait to see him bright and early on Friday morning!

Rainbows and smileys

Hello! We are still alive! I have been immersing myself in personal projects, so I haven't made much time for this beloved blog. School for Elijah is going ok. He has "pretty good" days and some pretty rough ones still. At this point I am taking it one day at a time, trying very hard not to over-analyze or stress out. There seems to be absolutely no consistency with behavior/sleep patterns, which can make me crazy if I think about it too much. Sleep is still overall pretty rough, but we are continuing with the oils. Dan and I get by on so little sleep because we are basically awake for the day at 4:00 (sometimes earlier). I still have not heard back from Dr. M regarding another med recommendation. I haven't put a second call into him because I secretly don't want him to recommend anything else.

I feel like we've fallen into a good place during a rough stretch. Does that make sense? We have learned how to make the most of a sleepless/impatient/stressful time. We are doing fine. Tired, but fine. We have each other and tons of love and faith. Thank you so much for peeking in! It means so much to us!

I have saved up a few Sammy funnies from the past week..

Sam is so good at thinking through things ahead of time. There was a coloring sheet of a rainbow that he had colored at the club a couple times. The next time he was there, they were out of that particular sheet. So the next day at home he sat down with a black sharpie and drew the outline of a rainbow on a white piece of paper. Then he brought that "coloring sheet" with us to the club and colored it while he was there. I thought that was impressive!

Another thing he likes to do is take band-aids from the box, draw hearts or smiley faces or rainbows on them...and put them back in the box! He told me his drawings will make owies heal much faster. :)

Driving through the grocery store parking lot, Sammy said, "Mommy, go faster! Speed makes me come alive!"

Other Sammy quotes: "If you don't give me whatever I want, my heart will explode!"
"Will you do me a huge favor, Mommy? Will you please take away the whole world?"

He is constantly worried about things he does not need to be worrying about. I field at least 100 questions/day about "bad guys." He wants to know if bad guys were bad kids? Do bad guys watch us through our windows? Can good kids turn into bad guys? Can bad kids turn into good guys? What would I do if a bad guy tried to steal him? Could a bad guy get in our house through our windows? Where do bad guys live? What is prison like? What kinds of food do bad guys eat in jail? Are their beds comfortable? Seriously...and that is just one topic. Other topics of choice: tornadoes and car crashes.

Needless to say, our front door is ALWAYS locked. He asks me a bunch throughout the day, "Is our door locked?" and then runs to check it.

Sammy: What happens if my foot turns purple?
Me: Then your foot probably needs blood. 
S: What if it doesn't get blood?
Me: Then you could lose your foot. 
S: .......
Me: Having feet is important, right?
S: No-ight. (a new, creative version of "no-kay")
Me: Sammy, you are the funniest person I know.
S: You don't know me! I live in Russia.

October 2014 fun

I'm finally catching up on October photos! A few weekends ago we made it to the corn maze. The boys had fun, as always.

Sammy and his silly faces, always trying to make everyone laugh. Elijah followed suit.

The corn pit was a favorite activity again this year. We took turns burying each other and then the boys ran around. I am STILL, weeks later, finding corn in my washing machine and random places around the house.

Posing by the hay sculpture!

The parakeet tent was a hit. Sammy is such an animal lover and wanted so badly to connect with the birds. Elijah was indifferent, but enjoyed the experience.

My handsome boys in the middle of the corn maze!

Elijah LOVES this hay bale maze. He always has. Sammy was a bit braver than last year, but kept getting upset about Elijah not waiting for him.

Following are some random pics I took at home the other day. The weather has been gorgeous (as is evidenced by Sammy's tank top)!

Today we spent an ENTIRE day together as a family. It was incredible! I even got a two-hour nap, which is unheard of these days. I loved today and I love spending time with my precious boys. After my mega-nap (thanks to my wonderful hubby for making this happen), we headed to a nearby apple orchard. We picked apples, goofed around, drank cider, rode on a tractor and ate some food. Elijah was SPENT by the end of the day, so we put him to bed super-duper early tonight. We are ready for his first week of half days! More to come on that. Thanks for checking in!