Wallpaper

When I hear the word "wallpaper" I think of bedroom walls with decorated paper on them.  You can tell what generation I am from.  I don't think my kids even know what that kind of wallpaper is (we don't currently have any on walls in our house).

But they know about wallpaper on computers and phones.  My 7 year-old had my phone the other day and asked if he could change my wallpaper.  It was a beach.  When I looked at my phone next I found he changed it to this photo from his 7th birthday:

It's a Minecraft cake made my me!

It is amazing to me what kids know these days.  They learn to crawl, walk, talk, eat with a fork and work smart phones and tablets before the age of 2.

I get a kick out of seeing his smiling face whenever I pick up my phone, and consequently it makes me smile! If I decide to change it back to the beach, I might need his help.

My Music Man

Brennen was on the front page of the paper last week with his school choir pictured during their concert.
  (well I can't upload the photo here because it is private or copywritted and I am not very good at all this computer stuff anyway.  I need B's help.  or I need to take a photo of the newspaper)

And he name was mentioned in the article:
      "At the end of their set on Oct. 15, the Low Tones performed an arrangement of "Gone, Gone, Gone" by singer-songwriter Phillip Phillips. Senior Brennen Berkley arranged the song, and it was initially performed at a high school talent show in September by Lucas and seniors Brian Farley and Eli Briody-Pavlik.
     "Members of the men's choir stepped off the risers and formed a semi-circle around Berkley, Lucas, Farley and Briody-Pavlik on stage while performing the pop music piece." 

So they mistaken wrote that Bren is a senior but he is a junior.  Brennen and his boys got 3rd place in the talent show.  They did it a capella with Brennen beating on a drum. He used Garageband--a program on his computer.


He told me that after the concert someone asked for his autograph.  What impressed me about the talent show was Bren's ambition and assertiveness.  Last year he played his guitar and sang by himself.  This year he asked some guys in his choir if they wanted to do a song with him and he arranged a song for them to do. (ya, I should have had a video of the talent show or the concert to post here, but ya, I am not that kind of on the ball kind of parent.)  

When Bren was in kindergarten he saw a performance of a kids choir (TaVaci) and wanted to join.  So he did and sang in it until 4th grade.  He started playing piano sometime in elementary school and had guitar lessons off and on starting in 5th grade.  In sixth grade he joined the middle school band as a percussionist and learned bells, xylophone, and drums, etc.  He played the marimba in a few solo & ensemble competitions during mid school and one judge told him he was on his way to a scholarship if he kept it up.  In 7th grade he played the bass guitar in the school Jazz band.  In 8th grade he tried the Saxophone for one semester.

Ninth grade he played with the high school Marching Band the fall semester then switched to choir.  This year he joined the orchestra playing cello, which he has never played before.  He is also in the men's choir and plays the piano for the Jazz band.  (yes he has 3 music classes)  

And he is still taking piano lessons.  He has a youtube channel youtube.com/brennenberkley where he has recorded some covers (I didn't know that a "cover" is when you sing someone else's song but now I know) in his recording studio: his bedroom.

He tried out for the all-state choir last week and made it!  He was pretty surprised.  


oh-here is a picture he posted on facebook at bit ago with the comment "And this is what your room looks like when you spend all of your free time playing music..."

(his room is usually pretty clean--too clean for a teenager)

Funny but I never thought of having musical kids.  I play the piano and was always in the school choir since 5th grade.  My junior year I didn't sign up for a choir class because I didn't make audition choir. But that lasted only a few weeks until I changed my schedule around to sing in the girls' choir because I missed it so much. (I did sing in the top choir my senior year). I always loved music. However, I was (still am) a sports nut. I thought I would have sports kids. 

Sports was always my first passion.  I came from a sports family.  My dad played college football and me and all of my siblings played some kind of school sports for at least a few years--most of us varsity high school sports. My mom played city and church sports (and would have played school sports but girls didn't get to do that back then).  And if not we are not playing, the we like to watch.  Then I married into a family that wasn't so sportsy.  Which is fine.

I just always thought I would have sports kids.  But I don't.  Except maybe Andy.  The have all played sports now and again and aren't bad but they are not competitive like me and don't have the drive.

I have musical children.  Dustin played percussion and guitar also and was the Drum Major his senior year.  

Janessa and Cameron are both doing well at the piano.  Andy has had some piano and is now learning trumpet in middle school.  He and Janessa are excellent singers.  

Musical children are great! and I love them! 

 (but I have to admit I would rather watch a soccer or volleyball game than a band concert)

New Adventures

Scott had his last day working as controller at the college on Sept 13.  He is now training and learning how to be a freight broker, as he bought a freight business to run with his brother.  Somebody very creative who he worked with at the college made the following going away gift.  

 notes on mailing labels on a freight box --very fun. 

And since his last day we have been a little busy getting our MISSIONARY ready to leave to Sendai Japan, with 2 months in Provo at the MTC first of course.  He enters next Wed Oct 9th.  I have felt exicted about it all and not sad but now the mom emotions are starting to hit me.

D worked in Utah this summer and came home almost 2 weeks ago.  We had some family come for his "farewell" talk.  Some stayed with us, some with my Mom and some in a hotel (I guess Scott's parents prefer the quiet of the hotel compared with 10 enthusiastic kids, 8 of them under 12, at our house).  Then we sent them all away and headed to Utah to take Dustin to the temple for his endowments, plus 2 more temples after that, and shopping shopping shopping.  And we spent so much at one store we got FREE LUGGAGE. Actually the shopping was pretty simple because we went to the Missionary Mall and they have, as Scott put it, "Everything you need and nothing you don't need." (and free luggage) And right across the way was Deseret Book which also has a Beehive clothing so we got more stuff he needed there. I let Scott and D do that and I happily shopped in the book store for an hour (all alone! no "Mom. look look")

The last thing on the list is family pictures!!! I really did NOT wait until the last minute. I had it on my to do list this summer then one weekend D up and left!  He got a job and said goodbye to us.  And we meant to do it the weekend he came home but that was the same weekend we had family and it rained too (no outdoor pictures) so we will get it done this weekend.  And it is so hard for me to think that this might be our last picture as a 7 person family (no, I am not pregnant!) because if B goes on his mission when he is 18 then D could be married by the time he gets back (because they will only overlap a few months).  Wow. hard thought. I would be a mother-in-law.

But, back to the present.  One more week with my BOY because everyone says he will come back as a MAN.  Yet I am so happy that my boy has choosen to and is going to serve the Lord.  and proud and stuff and yeah...

Forever Family

It was 10 years ago last Friday on April 19th that we went to the temple where Andy was sealed to our family for time and all eternity.  His older brothers, who were in kindergarten and 3rd grade at the time, were able to dress in white and witness the sealing.  It was such a special day.  I told Cameron that he and Janessa watched us from heaven. Andy was a chubby red-headed 14 month old, and it was only a few weeks before this that we found out we were pregnant with Janessa. (such an exiciting surprise!)

My parents were on their mission at the time in Wyoming, but received permission to come to the sealing in the Ogden temple.  We had lots of family there, and ward members.  The next day in sacrament meeting Andy was given a name and a blessing.  (The adoption date was Wednesday the 16th, so he hadn't been given a blessing in church yet).

So this weekend my thoughts have been on that special day and how much our family has changed in the past 11 years.  He is such a special boy with a tender heart and spirit, and a body that can hardly contain his energy.  I admit that he and I have our challenges (as I do of course with every child--just differently) but he is so much fun and we just might be a dull family without him.  Little did we know that two more kids would follow him in joining our family.

Mothering these last 3 children has not been easy for me.  Of course motherhood is not easy for anyone, though some people sure make it look easy!  Maybe its because I am older or because they are closer together in age than my older boys.  But I really think it is personalities.

My number 3 and 4 children are much more demanding than my others.  Why?  Were they born that way or was it circumstances that have made them that way?   Do they feel they have to compete for attention in a large family?  I often wonder why the Lord sent these children to me because I struggle with them so often.  I wonder why our personalities are so different and why the Lord has confidence in me to raise and teach these children, their strong personalities with my soft-spoken introverted nature.  I know that stronger spirits were saved for the latter days and they will do great in life. I just have to get them through elementary school, middle school, and high school!  Which I know is really a short time and I will look back when they are leaving on missions and getting married thinking "it seems like just yesterday when..." But the moments are hard to get through sometimes.  I need to rely on my Heavenly Father and truly believe that He has faith in me to nurture and love his precious children.  I truly am grateful for them.  For all my children.

I have enjoyed slowing down a bit and reflecting on that day 10 years ago when I knew that two more children were being added to my little family, one by adoption and one by birth.  The memory of the beauty of the temple and seeing my children all in white with my loving husband.  Taking time to look at the "eternal perspective" and marvel how our family came to be.  And how the Lord sent us another blessing when we surprisingly got pregnant again with Cameron.

This busy life, and the trials that come with it, is exactly what I wanted, and I really am grateful, and hope I can stay up to the challenge of being a mother to my children.

2 years in Sendai Japan

My boy is leaving the country for 2 years to serve the Lord.  It is what most LDS moms hope and dream and prepare their baby boys for from day one, yet when it becomes reality it is a little shocking and hard to believe.

Dustin received his call almost 2 weeks ago.  He was visiting some buddies in Utah and going to 2 mission "farewells" when it came in the mail.  But he didn't want to wait until he got home a few days later to know what it said, so we with modern technology, we all gathered around the computer and got on Skype, and opened it and read it to him.

Scott got to be the lucky one but instead of just reading it to us he said "Holy Cow!" first and then read it out loud to the rest of us.  I realized too late I was looking at Scott and didn't see the reaction on Dustin's face, darn it.  Dustin seems pretty pumped about it but he is like his mother and doesn't show a whole lot of excitement about stuff.

He enters the MTC on July 17th.  Cameron, whose birthday is the 27th of July, said "You are going to miss my birthday."  so cute.

The first person I thought of was my friend from Japan who is in my former Utah ward.  and we found out Sendai it the mission she is from! How cool is that?  A girl I grew up with in my home ward went to that same mission about 20 years ago and taught and baptized Ayako and then Ayako and I ended up in the same ward with kids the same age.  Small world.

I am excited for him.  Nervous for him.  Happy for him.  Proud of him.  He will be a great missionary.

Candy Bars and Legos

Amazing things happened at my house the last few weeks.  My kids kept their bedrooms clean!  For two whole weeks! and counting...

Why?  because I posted a sign that said "Calling All Berkleys.  CLEAN BEDROOM CONTEST! If your room is the cleanest all week, including making your bed, you will get a king-sized candy bar on Saturday."

Of course I didn't win.  My bedroom is never the cleanest (much too my husband's dismay).

Brennen was ahead most of the week but he slipped on the bed making at the end.  Janessa won.  But I decided to reward everyone else with candy bars too--normal size because it was AMAZING that ALL the bedrooms stayed clean.

I wasn't planning on a second week but the following Sunday night Andy and Cameron's room was so clean, which is usually the dirtiest day of all because they have been home for 2 days in a row, that I had to continue the contest.  (It amazing to me how fast those boys, mostly Andy, can make a disaster area in their room).  Andy announced that HE was going to win the bedroom contest this week.  So I let it go on!  And win it he did!  He even made Cameron's bed some days.  He told me that Cameron maybe shouldn't get a big candy bar because he didn't help much.

When I first started this contest, my friend said maybe it was a bit unfair to Andy because he isn't that capable of keeping his room clean and it might just make him discouraged.  But we were both proved wrong!  just give the kid some motivation and he can accomplish anything.

AMAZING!

The other thing that is amazing is my 3 youngest kids playing together semi-quietly with out fighting on a Sunday afternoon.  Because I got out the special castle Legos.  We bought a big set of Legos (I am sure there is a name but I don't know--it has knights and horses) years ago for the older boys for Christmas that are separate from the other Legos and the little kids don't often get to play with them because, well little kids aren't so careful sometimes.  Anyway, they have been playing nicely without fighting for a few hours.

AMAZING!

I Am NOT Smarter Than a 5th Grader

I had been going in to Andy's math class--5th grade--to help out a bit and to see what he was doing so that I could help him at home better.  The class has been learning fractions.  I know how to do fractions.  I know what the numerator is and the denominator is. I can simplify, add, multiply, and I think divide them.  I do have a hard time drawing pictures of them sometimes though.  However, I cannot explain how to do them very well.

Today was simplifying improper fractions.  so if you have a fraction of 12/3,  the answer is 4. But how to explain that to 5th graders is not easy.  Especially when they are required to draw pictures too.  Well I was confusing the kids when they asked for help.  Most of them would write 1/4 instead of just 4.  And of course it was even more tricky with something like 8/7 which would be 1 1/7.   I told the teacher I was sorry but I think I confused them.

Later that day I got an email from him saying "Thanks but no thanks."  Not in those words, but he agreed that some of the kids told him they were confused so he said if I still want to come I can come in later and work on multiplication and division facts with some of the kids.  Ouch.

On a happier note, here is something I can do--

Janessa and I have been "redoing" her room.  My little girl has outgrown her cute polka-dot curtains and wall with big decal pastel polka-dots of varying colors--so cute.  So now on to zebra stripes.

I went to work with contact paper.

We bought the little garbage can and I used contact paper and paint to make the bookcase match.

 I also put the zebra contact paper over the outlet and light switch covers.

I found a pair of pillow cases for about $5, and then used under-wonder to iron on some ribbon.  One square pillow and one regular pillow case.  (Cheaper than fabric).  

She couldn't find a zebra bedspread she liked so she picked turquoise and white.

Also used ribbon to "dress up" some pictures. 

We are in the process of making a few wall hangings to finish things up.  Oh, and still deciding about curtains.  It has been a fun project.

My Sad Little Man

"My pants are falling down and I can't find my shoes."  My six year old said sadly as he came into the kitchen the other morning.  And to me that moment was so cute and precious for some reason.  I really enjoy him.

He is my little detail man and usually ready for school before anyone.  He wakes up, gets dressed with shoes and socks and comes out of his room dragging his backpack and coat, looking for his sandwich so he can pack his lunch.  He cleans up his dishes after breakfast without being reminded.  If only all my children could be like that...

But that morning he was wearing new pants that apparently didn't fit too well, and had such a rare occasion of not knowing where his shoes were.  And he was so sad about it all.  I just wanted to pick him up and cuddle him and make all the sadness go away.  Which I guess I did by helping him find his shoes and making his pants tighter with those button stretchy things inside the waistband of the pants.

I don't really have anything more to write about that ... just wanted to share I guess.

Post Holiday Ramblings

We had a very nice uneventful Holiday season, thank goodness!  (because last year's season was too eventful with stomach flu, lice, and a totaled family car).

I was a little bummed that the kids didn't get out of school until Friday the 21st.  and it wasn't even a half day.  There just seems to be fun things to do with the kids before Christmas like frosting cookies, crafting etc.  And that gave us only 3 days before the big day.  It's fine, but just sayin'-

However, now I am ready for them to go back to school and they don't go back until the 8th.  Two more full days of kids with lots of energy and cold cold weather outside.

Dustin is home for a few months and won't be going back to school.  He is waiting for his mission call!  His papers aren't quite submitted but will be within the week I think.

Brennen gets to drive himself to school now.  Hooray!  He got his license mid December.  The day he got his license I had him pick up Cam from piano lessons.  nice.

This morning as we had family prayer I looked around at my beautiful family and felt so blessed.  I thought how awesome it is that we get to start our day together as a family kneeling in prayer, quiet and away from the world.  Though I do enjoy the quiet house when they are away at school, it isn't easy to send them into the world everyday knowing (or not knowing) all that is waiting for them.  I am so grateful for my family, the birth of our Savior, and the knowledge and truth of the gospel, and that I have the ability to teach and influence my children in our home, and hopefully, keep them "unspotted from the world."

Too Much Red Stuff

This week was pretty uneventful I suppose.  Not too many kids running in and out of my house.  This is not always the case however.

We live across the street from a nice large park.  And this spring, summer and fall there have been a lot of kids at the park between the ages of 6 and 12.  My kids' age range.  And so there is not a lack of playmates for my children.  That is good.  I know I complained about lack of friends and play-dates before, but we certainly don't have that problem anymore.

Those kids who play at the park, well their houses are not across the street from the park.  And the kids seem to gravitate to my house a lot.  There are mainly 4 families including mine that make up this gang of kids, with some other kids thrown in here and there.  I am happy that my children are entertained and not sitting in front of the TV but there are times that it gets to be too much. There are times when I want to hang a sign on the door:
       
        DO NOT KNOCK ON MY DOOR! 
        MY KIDS CANNOT PLAY RIGHT NOW
        YOU CANNOT USE MY BATHROOM
        YOU CANNOT HAVE A DRINK OF WATER
        I HAVE BAND-AIDS BUT YOU CAN'T HAVE ONE RIGHT NOW
        WE OUR OUT OF OTTER-POPS DESPITE WHAT ANDY SAYS
        WE MOVED

I am happy that the kids like our house.  And our trampoline (we bought a new one--I just can't be a mom without a trampoline).  and our backyard and climbing the tree in our front yard.  Yes, I am too nice but I do send them back to the park whenever I want.  And I don't give them otter-pops, Andy does.  And I started making them get a drink out of the hose. (I drank out of the hose when I was a kid and I am fine, I think).

A few weeks ago though there was blood. Twice!

First of all, I come home from somewhere and there are boys running through the house being chased by my son with a cordless drill.  Which he is turning on as he chases.  And Janessa is in the mix too.  I get upset, send Andy to time-out and send everyone else back to the park, but not before I lecture them that "TOOLS ARE NOT TOYS" and did nobody think that was a little dangerous?!?  I make sure Andy says that "tools are not toys" like 20 times and tell him that him and his friends need to stay out of the garage. (by the way, my hubby was home but downstairs I think).

Not 10 minutes after I send them all out of my house they come back.  One kid's head is bleeding and he is screaming out of control because his hand is covered with the blood so he is freaked out.  His brother is crying because he was the one that threw the item that hit the bleeding kid so he is feeling bad.  However, the bleeding stops, both boys are consoled by my husband and after washing him up I drive the hurt one home.  The sad thing about this story is the parents weren't home and neither boy knew their parents' phone number.  What if it had been a bad injury?  moral of the story--I made sure all my kids know our phone numbers.

The next incident was on a Saturday not even two weeks past the first one.  Boys again.  a different group this time.  Hubby is gone and I am parked on the couch because I had just had surgery 3 days before (another story for another day).  I think Andy is at the park but a kid comes in "Can you help my brother."  I am thinking no, I don't want to get off the couch and go outside. "He is bleeding." great. more blood.  Where?  "In the backyard.  He stepped on something".  My older son goes out to help and I manage to finally make it out there.  Apparently he stepped on something in our grass and cut his foot.

I go outside.  The sun is very bright.  There is blood everywhere on the cement and his foot.   The kids are chattering away. One has the hose on wondering if he should wash the blood up or wash the foot.  I am overwhelmed.  I feel like I am going to pass out. Luckily I had my cell phone in my hand so I quickly texted my neighbor who came right over.  She took care of everything ordering kids to get paper towels and whatever.  I did bring gauze and tape out but didn't have the presence of mind to do anything with it.  and Andy had bandaids.  The cut again wasn't bad but deep.  He didn't need stitches.  He did know his phone number and his big sister came and helped him home.

Yes I love living by the park.  I love the view from my window.  I love how nice the city keeps it.  I love watching people.  I love having close access.   Yet, every once in a while I think maybe we should move.





     

Bet you didn't know...

That you can buy freeze dried crickets at Walmart. (see previous post)
so now you know.  Even though Andy is boy #3 this is my first experience with lizards

Today we had a parade in town.  I had a doc appt at the same time as the parade and it was only a street and a half away from the parade.  So I drove by the doctor's office and showed A & J where it was, then took them to a parking lot to watch the parade and we agreed that if I got done before it was over, I would walk to them. Otherwise they were to walk to the doctor's office.  It was a cute sight when I was done with the doctor (which of course took way too long) and I saw two kids sitting on the steps surrounded by candy.  And guess what Andy caught while walking away from the parade--yep, another lizard.

Happy kids.  Amazing to think we only have two more weekends til summer is over and school starts.

Simple Pleasures

"Mom, want to help me look for crickets?"

A question every mom wants to hear.  He asked me this after I was the best mom ever today.  Because I took my boy to the park which has a creek and small irrigation canal.  On the way home he said "This is the best day ever!"  Cuz with his friend he caught 3 toads (I called them frogs but was corrected), a giant spider, and 5 lizards.  But they let one lizard go so it would be even.  They each brought home a small lizard and a bigger lizard.  And his friend kept the giant spider, thank goodness.  He also told me I the best mom since I am letting him keep lizards.  I will have to remind him of that when he thinks I am the meanest mom.

The park was actually a pretty good time for me too.  I didn't have any other kids with me so I sat in the shade and read a book while Andy and his friend got wet and muddy and had a ball catching critters.  Haven't read much this summer at all.  It was nice quiet time.

Well, I don't even know where to find crickets for his lizards to eat.  And the best thing I could find as a habitat was a 5 gallon bucket which we put rocks and dirt in.  Hopefully the lizards won't get hungry too soon because I didn't help him look for crickets.

What? My Son is an Adult?

Meaning I must be getting old.  The mom of an adult?  Well, he may be able to vote and sign his own documents but he is still a teenager.  And still my responsibility.  and still living in my house.  For a few more months anyway.  Then D is on his way to Utah State University.  The place of his birth.  We moved off campus and out of student housing when he was just a few weeks old to Salt Lake City where Scott got his first full-time job.  (The first of many because he liked to job hop a bit. Not in a bad way, just saw different opportunites.  And now he owns his own business which is pretty cool and ambitious.  anyway...back to Dustin).

We had a small pre-graduation party for Dustin the night before the big day.  Only I forgot to take pictures.  I was busy you know doing all the stuff moms do when hosting parties.  And it was supposed to be outside at the park across the street with a volleyball net and other games but it was like so so windy and we had to do it inside which of course I didn't plan on until an hour before.  Next time I will delegate the photo taking.

But here is one photo of the star of the party and the awesome cake I made.  The award there if you can see it is the "Sousa Award" he earned for outstanding senior in band.

In case you can't see the cake very well (and the cool scorpion I made out of an airhead), then here is another pic of the cake.  I found the drummer on the cake at Hobby Lobby and it was 50% off!

The grandparents came down from Utah so that was very cool.  However, I neglected to get any pics of the graduate with either set of grandparents, or Dad.  ARG!  But I got one of him with me.

And to our surprise he was on the front page of the paper the day after graduation pictured in a group with other graduates celebrating the moment. 
and 5 days later he had a birthday...
(I think he is more excited than he looks)

We took the older boys river rafting in Durango for his big day and had a great time.  The younger kids went to Utah with Grandma and Grandpa after graduation so they were not around.

He was hired at Home Depot this summer and he is also keeping his job at the library.  I am impressed.  This is the boy at some time in his life who, after I told him we were going to do some work and it would take about an hour, complained: "A whole hour of work!?!?" like it was going to be torture.  However, I guess part of the reason he has two jobs is because he is very good at spending but hasn't quite learned the saving part so he needs to catch up on his college account which is a bit lacking.  good think he got some scholarships!

He is a good boy.  A typical absent-minded teenager but a great kid.    Even though he was our first and the "one we make mistakes and learn on" I think he is turning out just fine.  Come fall I will miss this boy, or I guess adult.

End of School Year Activities

2nd grade music program (actually at the end of April)
4th grade recorder program (actually at the end of April)
High school choir concert
High school band concert
Band banquet
Tennis banquet
grade school field trips/picnics
Senior Awards night
grade school field day
grade school end of  year assembly
kindergarten graduation
Seminary Graduation
HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION
graduation party

And this month we had our last few soccer games, Cameron's laser (his last for a while), Scott ran a 10K, and DUSTIN COMPLETED HIS EAGLE PROJECT!!!!

After all is said and done, what a month May will be!
(and we will throw Mother's Day and a few birthday's in too)

First Field Trip and Halloween Photos

After Cameron started kindergarten he began asking quite often "Do I have a field trip today?"  I am not sure what put the idea of field trips in his head but he was pretty persistant.  Finally, the week before Halloween he got to go on a field trip to the Pumpin Patch at Sutherland Farms.

The kids got to go on a hay ride, a train ride, play in the corn pit, go through the corn maze, milk a pretend wooden cow with rubber udders, look at some animals, and pick out their very own pumpkin to take home.  I got to go to!  As he was waiting in line to get back on the bus Cameron told me "This was so fun!  My field trip was funner than Lego Star Wars!"

So there you have it--life on the farm is funner than a video game.

making a 'corn angel'.  I have never seen anything like this--very fun to play in.

burying a classmate

the corn maze

the train ride

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

  I wore this costume (the dress) when I played one of Tiger Lily's Indians in the musical Peter Pan in high school.  good memories!  (the dress was a lot shorter on me and it is pinned in the back to fit her) My mom worked hard on that for me! there are beads on all those fringes...

A New School Year

Last year I had kids in 4 diffferent schools, counting Cameron's preschool.  This year, I am down to 2--high school and elementary.  My youngest is in kindergarten and my oldest is a senior.  In some ways it seems a long time coming (having all my kids in school) and in others it has gone by fast.

It was harder than I thought it would be to send Cameron to school.  I was more emotional than I anticipated. I was ready for him to go.  After all I have been a stay at home mom with kids at home for 17 years now.  And he was ready both socially and academically (he is reading).  Yet I still had nagging doubts because he is barely 5 and he still has speech issues, and he is small in size.   But I have to admit it was hardest because of his birthmark.  And he doesn't even care.  But it is like now I am sending him out into the cruel world by himself, where as before he was with me in the 'world' and only at preschool with small people his age, not big kids.  I worry more about the few weeks after the laser treatments than just the everyday.  And I keep thinking we should just stop them for a while, but when will it be easier for him than in kindergarten?

And my first baby a senior in high school.  Hard to believe that the little boy who loved dressing up and playing pretend, and was such a Pokemon fan, turned into a teenager who loves his music and drums (and sleeping) has started his last year of school .

First Day of School Pics 

 

Janessa, 2nd grade    Andy, 4th grade  

Cameron K (actually his 2nd day cuz kinder started a day early)

 

 

 Brennen, first day of high school 9th grade

 and for Dustin, well, he didn't pose for a picture. 

Goodbye January

It is almost February.  In fact, tomorrow is February.  But I want it to stay January.  'Cause in February I have to take Cameron back to the hospital for his third laser procedure on his face.  The laser is doing wonders as we can already see a difference after only two treatments.  Cameron doesn't seem to mind going to the hospital too much.  In fact he told me that he likes the hospital ok, and who wouldn't cuz everything is about him and he gets to wear funny pajamas, watch movies and eat popsicles, but he said he doesn't like waking up early and not eating. He can't eat because he goes under anesthesia.  And he is asleep before they put the IV in.  so it is not too hard on the kid, but it is hard on the mom.

I know I have been blessed not to have any serious medical issues with my family.  Sixteen years of parenting and up until last year we had one broken arm (not Andy), one set of stitches (not Andy), and one concussion (amazingly still not Andy).  And Janessa was born with a urinary tract problem which did require tests at the hospital every year and nightly antibiotics, but she outgrew it by age 2 1/2.

Then there was 2010.  Not only did we meet our insurance deductible, we also met our yearly out of pocket (none of it maternity).  In March my hubby pretty much shattered his elbow requiring 13 pins and a plate to put it back together and physical therapy to make it work again.  Everything went fine and he healed well.  Brennen got pneumonia in August and luckily didn't require hospitalization, but was a very sick kid for 2 1/2 weeks.  In September Cameron had his first laser procedure, Andy had his tonsils and adenoids out in October, and the day before Thanksgiving another laser for Cameron.  My anxiety level or something went way down after Thanksgiving knowing I was done with hospitals and doctors until February.  Yet, I didn't have too much time to relax because thrown into the usual holiday chaos was a family trip to the Dominican Republic.

I loved January.  And now January is over...

To all you moms out there who deal with medical issues and hospitals on a regular basis, including my sister, you are my heroes!

Cameron posing for some pictures before 2nd laser surgery, Nov 24, 2010

Super patient!

Eating a popsicle after surgery 

The Collection

What do little boys do at their big brother's soccer game?  Collect things.  There are all kinds of cool things in and around the high school bleachers collect.  Lids from water bottles and Gatorade, pop can tabs, broken balloons, pieces of metal, zip ties, feathers, candy wrappers, ticket stubs, pens and pencils...

Andy's collection

Andy had a great time at the game last night.  Janessa and Cameron followed his lead but soon found other things to do so their collections were pretty meager.

By the way, Dustin won his game.  It was great weather, and we also got a lightening show out east (far enough away from the game) and a beautiful sunset.  Fall is awesome! 

Ewww

Don't you just love it (not) when your kid leaves her lunch box at school and when she does bring it home it has a squishy black banana inside that has leaked in her backpack and on her homework folder?

Glamour Girl

Here is link to a Janessa's photo shoot at Lydia Jane Images.  My baby girl is going to be 7 next month!