It finally is consistently feeling like spring here in Wisconsin. Hip, hip, hooray! With the warmer weather comes all sorts of spring and summer like activities.
The kids helped me plant the first round of the garden a little more than a week ago. Broccoli plants, peas, potatoes, onions, and beets all went in the ground. We haven't had enough rain since then to encourage the seeds to sprout, but I'm hoping it will happen soon.
After the broccoli finally went in the ground, more of our seed trays and growing lights were available to start tomatoes, peppers, and flowers.
Thursday night we had our first (small) harvest of asparagus. More to come soon, I hope!
In the last week or so the kids have also been able to experience the outdoors again. After we spent time planting the broccoli, Kate and Anna got into the water and the hose. By the time they were completely soaked, Ethan wanted to join in. Our well water is COLD, though, and he didn't last very long.
We have also gotten out the bikes again, with Matt and I being able to do some individual rides, Ethan getting comfortable on his little bike again, Kate trying to relearn how to ride without training wheels (she didn't have much practice with it last fall), and Anna being able to ride longer distances (like down to the park).
The kids and I met up with some friends on Wednesday after school at Olbrich Gardens. It was a beautiful afternoon with plenty of flowers. Ethan had already had a big day and was exhausted trying to keep up with the bigger kids; Anna ended up giving him a ride towards the end.
The kids and I also visited a local park yesterday afternoon; it's always been one of our favorites since it is right on the lake. Inevitably, we end up sitting on the beach throwing rocks into the water for long periods of time.
Somehow, with all of these events going on, I have forgotten to take any pictures. I'll have to be more conscious of this in the future.
On top of these activities, Kate had her first swim week at school this past week, even though she came down with a nasty cough/cold on Monday. Regardless of colds, all the 1st graders were quite tired by the end of the week after walking to and from the high school each day, with 1/2 hour of swimming sandwiched in between those walks. Ethan and I surprised Kate on Friday by showing up to watch her swim with her class. She loves these kinds of surprise sightings during the school day.
Ethan also had his 3-year-old screening with the school district this week. All kids in McFarland undergo this brief screening process of various skills to help identify any who may need extra help before Kindergarten. Early intervention is the key! Ethan, however, needs no early intervention. He is well within the typically developing range in all areas. The bonus for me this time around was that I already knew many of the therapists conducting the screening since they have worked/are working with Anna :)
Speaking of Anna, we had an interesting new experience on Friday night. The McFarland PTO sponsors a "sock hop" for the Intermediate School (grades 3-5) in the spring. I asked the girls on Friday if they were interested in going and they said sure; they're usually up for just about anything these days. So after dinner, we donned some fancy knee-high socks and headed in to school.
My first impression of the dance held in the gym was that it was loud. Then, as I watched the kids interacting with one another, I realized that before we know it, our girls will be "tweens", with all that implies. Sigh. I'm not ready for that.
Anna warmed up to the event faster than Kate, but that's pretty typical. By the end of the night, Anna was having fun with a group of girls she knew in 2nd grade; Kate had also found a fellow 1st grade buddy and was thoroughly enjoying herself.
I'm glad we went. It's always good to provide Anna with these opportunities, not just for her at this moment in time, but also to make sure she is still visible to her peers and their parents. The more everyone sees her and interacts with her, the more comfortable they are with Anna. Plus, I was able to meet some of Kate's classmates' parents ... finally!
One morning this week, we looked at the calendar to figure out how many more weeks of school we have. The kids needed some extra motivation for the long weeks. We learned that there are only six weeks left of school, and three of those weeks have only four days! I think we're going to make it :)
Sunday, April 24, 2016
Monday, April 18, 2016
Badgers Go Bald 2016
Mid-week last week we received an email inviting our family to this year's Badgers Go Bald event. Matt and I posed the question to the kids and, especially since Ethan, Kate, and Matt weren't able to go last year, we decided it would be a fun event for our family to attend.
I didn't have nearly as many reservations this year about attending. We are well aware that our kids' childhood experiences, especially Anna's, are well outside the realm of "normal", so giving them the chance to do something fun like this is perfectly okay. Plus, many of this year's student athletes were participating for personal reasons and will be able to use the experience to grow in their own understanding of the world around them.
Time for the pictures.
On this beautiful April Friday, the kids were able to explore some construction equipment even before we entered the student-athlete center.
It was only a short walk/run/ride from the parking garage into the facility.
Part of our tour this year included some time in the special box seats where fans can pay a hefty price to watch the Badgers play. Ethan was a little confused that we weren't actually going to watch a game.
We also were able to explore the locker room together.
One of the highlights was playing out on the football field. Anna walked with help, crawled, and goofed off.
Kate and Ethan ran the length of the field at least three times.
A few female athletes participated in Badgers Go Bald this year. Although they didn't have their heads shaved, they gave up many inches of long hair in support of pediatric cancer.
Guess who can handle piggy back rides again!
After the tour, we were ushered up to the room where the shaving would occur.
There weren't a lot of families participating this year, and some of the other kids were pretty shy, so Anna had plenty of opportunity to use the clippers. Kate and Ethan could have shaved some heads if they wanted to, but both declined. Kate was too nervous whereas Ethan still doesn't like clippers. They were content to eat the yummy food set out for us for dinner.
The final participant was Bart Houston, who is one of the back-up quarterbacks for the Badgers. He and Ethan got along pretty well, especially at the end of the evening when Ethan was asking for autographs.
Anna tried helping trim Bart's hair, but she was too short in her chair.
So I helped her stand and we finished the job.
Again this year, plenty of media was present for photos and videos. Here are a few links to the stories.
A preview, including interviews of the student athletes and why they wanted to participate:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2t4HDGsJlw
A summary, with better sound than the others:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIeO8d1StOA
One including parts of an interview with Matt and Anna, but with poor sound quality:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDXiiUwvmBQ
In the end, it was a fun family night for us. As the weather switches over to more summer-like temperatures and everyone wants to be outside more and more, we are reminded yet again how different Anna's life is from another 3rd graders. These events provide an opportunity for special memories for us.
I didn't have nearly as many reservations this year about attending. We are well aware that our kids' childhood experiences, especially Anna's, are well outside the realm of "normal", so giving them the chance to do something fun like this is perfectly okay. Plus, many of this year's student athletes were participating for personal reasons and will be able to use the experience to grow in their own understanding of the world around them.
Time for the pictures.
On this beautiful April Friday, the kids were able to explore some construction equipment even before we entered the student-athlete center.
It was only a short walk/run/ride from the parking garage into the facility.
Part of our tour this year included some time in the special box seats where fans can pay a hefty price to watch the Badgers play. Ethan was a little confused that we weren't actually going to watch a game.
We also were able to explore the locker room together.
One of the highlights was playing out on the football field. Anna walked with help, crawled, and goofed off.
Kate and Ethan ran the length of the field at least three times.
A few female athletes participated in Badgers Go Bald this year. Although they didn't have their heads shaved, they gave up many inches of long hair in support of pediatric cancer.
Guess who can handle piggy back rides again!
After the tour, we were ushered up to the room where the shaving would occur.
There weren't a lot of families participating this year, and some of the other kids were pretty shy, so Anna had plenty of opportunity to use the clippers. Kate and Ethan could have shaved some heads if they wanted to, but both declined. Kate was too nervous whereas Ethan still doesn't like clippers. They were content to eat the yummy food set out for us for dinner.
The final participant was Bart Houston, who is one of the back-up quarterbacks for the Badgers. He and Ethan got along pretty well, especially at the end of the evening when Ethan was asking for autographs.
Anna tried helping trim Bart's hair, but she was too short in her chair.
So I helped her stand and we finished the job.
Again this year, plenty of media was present for photos and videos. Here are a few links to the stories.
A preview, including interviews of the student athletes and why they wanted to participate:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2t4HDGsJlw
A summary, with better sound than the others:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIeO8d1StOA
One including parts of an interview with Matt and Anna, but with poor sound quality:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDXiiUwvmBQ
In the end, it was a fun family night for us. As the weather switches over to more summer-like temperatures and everyone wants to be outside more and more, we are reminded yet again how different Anna's life is from another 3rd graders. These events provide an opportunity for special memories for us.
Friday, April 8, 2016
Updates
It's about time for some general life updates.
Ethan first ... Mr. 3 1/2 is in a good place right now. He likes cars and trucks, books, music, being active, and having "all of our friends home" (a.k.a. having the whole family at home). He likes to do "jump forward rolls" in the basement, run fast in the running loop he created in the basement, and wear his "fast pants". He is learning how to hop on one foot and is trying hard to learn how to skip. He likes playing with others, especially his sisters or his dad. Ethan's favorite foods are peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, quesadillas, macaroni and cheese, peas, almost any kind of fruit, and tomatoes.
Ethan is still a good communicator, but I sometimes have to translate his ideas if he can't get all of the right words strung together effectively. One of our favorite stories recently occurred at a friend's house, when Ethan's buddy's mom was checking on the boys. Ethan told her "I'm feeling a little overwhelmed and kind of guilty". Apparently, he thought he broke one of the toys and felt bad about it.
Kate next ... Miss Almost-done-with-first-grade is doing well. Matt and I met with Kate's teacher for spring parent-teacher conferences recently; her perspective and comments confirmed our own thoughts. She said that Kate is a very well-rounded kid who genuinely enjoys learning. She also said that Kate is a bright girl who isn't growing up too fast. We all chuckled at some of Kate's idiosyncrasies ... how she hoards books in her book box at school or in bed at home; how she can be very self-confident when she is comfortable and yet very shy and reserved when she is in new situations.
Kate's favorite subjects in school are art and gym. Her favorite activity at home is playing, or reading. Depending on the day, or even the time of day, she may prefer to play alone, or with Ethan, or with Anna, or with everyone. She's a fun kid. Although Kate looks taller and older than she did a year ago, she still has all of her baby teeth. We joke that Kate and Matt have a lot of similarities, but it looks like she may be following after her momma in this regard. (I didn't lose my first tooth until I was in 2nd grade!)
Anna's up ... The last few weeks have been tough for Anna. Going from spring break back to school was a difficult transition. Then we were out of town last weekend; those trips take more out of Anna than they do out of the rest of us. The transition back to school this week has been rough, too, and was made more difficult by the cold Anna caught from Ethan, and because Anna's aide was gone on Friday, Monday, and Tuesday. We have had more tears and tantrums at home from her recently than is typical for her.
In spite of that, she is still making progress in many aspects of life. Over spring break, Anna chose to write a couple of short fiction stories (mini-stories ... more like a paragraph ... but independently and self-initiated!); we are still plugging along with nightly reading; and sometime in the last week she learned how to do 2-digit multiplication.
During Anna's last plan-of-care for speech and feeding, she met all of the goals her therapist had set. Anna no longer uses handkerchiefs, even if she has a cold; she can eat a variety of foods, but the quantity is still small and is still takes more effort than it does most people. During Anna's recent neuro-oncology visit, she has a relatively long conversation with her radiation oncologist. Unlike last year, she didn't need any help remembering events or details, and she didn't need me to translate/explain for her. Plus, during one of Anna's recent physical therapy sessions, she walked over 500 feet with her walker without a break!
Anna still likes playing with her siblings, playing games, and listening to books. Her favorite foods are "whatever we are eating at meals", or at least that's what she says :)
Life for this mom is alternately busy and then not. Certain days, or times of days, are very full and stressful, while other days, or times of day, are empty to the point of feeling l-o-n-g. A lot of life is still filled with taking care of others ... food prep and clean-up, making sure people have clean clothing that fits, organizing life, prepping for school and/or therapy, playing with a little boy, reading books with children, dealing with medical stuff. Most of this I enjoy, but sometimes it can feel repetitive. (Or annoying ... like the 2+ hours I spent on the phone this week trying to continue our insurance coverage for Anna's therapy.)
During the last month, we finally ran out of our corn, beets, freezer pickles, peaches, and pears. We're getting low on pearsauce, applesauce, and zucchini (really?!). We still have plenty of tomato products to last us until August ... I hope. The transition to grocery store vegetables is always a little difficult; usually the youngest member of our family has the hardest time accepting the different tastes :)
The weather this spring has been frustrating; more April snow than any of us prefer. My broccoli seedlings would really like to get out of the basement and into the ground, but we may be a few weeks away from that milestone yet. The alternating warmth and then freezing temperatures are not just frustrating, they are also making our fruit crop questionable for this fall. Temperatures are expected to fall into the teens tonight - NOT a good thing for the fruit buds.
Life for Matt also bounces between busy times and open time. This past week has been another full one at work, which has been stressful for Matt, especially since we have been out of town the last three weekends. Matt is also looking forward to the nicer weather when he can continue to pursue some of his hobbies outdoors :)
In all, things are still going well. Maybe we are more of the "homebody" type than others, but we are all immeasurably happy that we have a low-key weekend with minimal time out of the house :)
Ethan first ... Mr. 3 1/2 is in a good place right now. He likes cars and trucks, books, music, being active, and having "all of our friends home" (a.k.a. having the whole family at home). He likes to do "jump forward rolls" in the basement, run fast in the running loop he created in the basement, and wear his "fast pants". He is learning how to hop on one foot and is trying hard to learn how to skip. He likes playing with others, especially his sisters or his dad. Ethan's favorite foods are peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, quesadillas, macaroni and cheese, peas, almost any kind of fruit, and tomatoes.
Ethan is still a good communicator, but I sometimes have to translate his ideas if he can't get all of the right words strung together effectively. One of our favorite stories recently occurred at a friend's house, when Ethan's buddy's mom was checking on the boys. Ethan told her "I'm feeling a little overwhelmed and kind of guilty". Apparently, he thought he broke one of the toys and felt bad about it.
Kate next ... Miss Almost-done-with-first-grade is doing well. Matt and I met with Kate's teacher for spring parent-teacher conferences recently; her perspective and comments confirmed our own thoughts. She said that Kate is a very well-rounded kid who genuinely enjoys learning. She also said that Kate is a bright girl who isn't growing up too fast. We all chuckled at some of Kate's idiosyncrasies ... how she hoards books in her book box at school or in bed at home; how she can be very self-confident when she is comfortable and yet very shy and reserved when she is in new situations.
Kate's favorite subjects in school are art and gym. Her favorite activity at home is playing, or reading. Depending on the day, or even the time of day, she may prefer to play alone, or with Ethan, or with Anna, or with everyone. She's a fun kid. Although Kate looks taller and older than she did a year ago, she still has all of her baby teeth. We joke that Kate and Matt have a lot of similarities, but it looks like she may be following after her momma in this regard. (I didn't lose my first tooth until I was in 2nd grade!)
Anna's up ... The last few weeks have been tough for Anna. Going from spring break back to school was a difficult transition. Then we were out of town last weekend; those trips take more out of Anna than they do out of the rest of us. The transition back to school this week has been rough, too, and was made more difficult by the cold Anna caught from Ethan, and because Anna's aide was gone on Friday, Monday, and Tuesday. We have had more tears and tantrums at home from her recently than is typical for her.
In spite of that, she is still making progress in many aspects of life. Over spring break, Anna chose to write a couple of short fiction stories (mini-stories ... more like a paragraph ... but independently and self-initiated!); we are still plugging along with nightly reading; and sometime in the last week she learned how to do 2-digit multiplication.
During Anna's last plan-of-care for speech and feeding, she met all of the goals her therapist had set. Anna no longer uses handkerchiefs, even if she has a cold; she can eat a variety of foods, but the quantity is still small and is still takes more effort than it does most people. During Anna's recent neuro-oncology visit, she has a relatively long conversation with her radiation oncologist. Unlike last year, she didn't need any help remembering events or details, and she didn't need me to translate/explain for her. Plus, during one of Anna's recent physical therapy sessions, she walked over 500 feet with her walker without a break!
Anna still likes playing with her siblings, playing games, and listening to books. Her favorite foods are "whatever we are eating at meals", or at least that's what she says :)
Life for this mom is alternately busy and then not. Certain days, or times of days, are very full and stressful, while other days, or times of day, are empty to the point of feeling l-o-n-g. A lot of life is still filled with taking care of others ... food prep and clean-up, making sure people have clean clothing that fits, organizing life, prepping for school and/or therapy, playing with a little boy, reading books with children, dealing with medical stuff. Most of this I enjoy, but sometimes it can feel repetitive. (Or annoying ... like the 2+ hours I spent on the phone this week trying to continue our insurance coverage for Anna's therapy.)
During the last month, we finally ran out of our corn, beets, freezer pickles, peaches, and pears. We're getting low on pearsauce, applesauce, and zucchini (really?!). We still have plenty of tomato products to last us until August ... I hope. The transition to grocery store vegetables is always a little difficult; usually the youngest member of our family has the hardest time accepting the different tastes :)
The weather this spring has been frustrating; more April snow than any of us prefer. My broccoli seedlings would really like to get out of the basement and into the ground, but we may be a few weeks away from that milestone yet. The alternating warmth and then freezing temperatures are not just frustrating, they are also making our fruit crop questionable for this fall. Temperatures are expected to fall into the teens tonight - NOT a good thing for the fruit buds.
Life for Matt also bounces between busy times and open time. This past week has been another full one at work, which has been stressful for Matt, especially since we have been out of town the last three weekends. Matt is also looking forward to the nicer weather when he can continue to pursue some of his hobbies outdoors :)
In all, things are still going well. Maybe we are more of the "homebody" type than others, but we are all immeasurably happy that we have a low-key weekend with minimal time out of the house :)
Monday, April 4, 2016
Happy 90th Birthday, Great-grandpa!
On Saturday we helped celebrate Matt's Grandpa's 90th birthday with family and friends in Waterloo, Iowa. After a four day week back at school post spring break, we woke up on Saturday morning to snow (seriously) and wind. We packed up and embarked on the 3 hour drive, arriving just in time to have a quick picnic lunch (inside, not outside, thank you very much April-that-feels-like-February) before guests started arriving.
The party at Grandpa's assisted living center was a huge success. Many family and friends were able to attend the open house style party and wish Grandpa happy birthday.
I have only known Grandpa for about 15 years so I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to see how his life has impacted so many others during his life in Waterloo. Several people told me what a faithful adult example he is for those around him.
Matt's job for the afternoon was to mingle with people who knew him (or knew of him) and to cut the cake, (since he's an engineer and no one else felt up to dividing the cake into 100 pieces). My job was to keep the kids corralled and busy, one I can handle.
After the party, we checked into our hotel, decompressed a little, then went out to dinner with Matt's parents, his older sister, and her three kids. Good food and good company.
Sunday morning, after a rough night in the hotel for a certain 3-year-old, we were able to worship with Grandpa at his church. As with last weekend's church service, several people at Grandpa's church have been praying for Anna and were pleased that they finally were able to meet her and see how she is doing.
After church, we packed everything up in our hotel room and played a couple of quick games in the lobby before returning to Grandpa's home for another picnic-type lunch and another chance to spend time with family before making the drive back home.
Another weekend, another 36 hour trip, another state, another night's sleep in a hotel. We are thankful for the opportunity and ability to be a part of celebrations like this (we haven't always been able to), but we're also glad to be back home in our own beds. No more trips planned for awhile now :)
The party at Grandpa's assisted living center was a huge success. Many family and friends were able to attend the open house style party and wish Grandpa happy birthday.
Matt's job for the afternoon was to mingle with people who knew him (or knew of him) and to cut the cake, (since he's an engineer and no one else felt up to dividing the cake into 100 pieces). My job was to keep the kids corralled and busy, one I can handle.
After the party, we checked into our hotel, decompressed a little, then went out to dinner with Matt's parents, his older sister, and her three kids. Good food and good company.
Sunday morning, after a rough night in the hotel for a certain 3-year-old, we were able to worship with Grandpa at his church. As with last weekend's church service, several people at Grandpa's church have been praying for Anna and were pleased that they finally were able to meet her and see how she is doing.
After church, we packed everything up in our hotel room and played a couple of quick games in the lobby before returning to Grandpa's home for another picnic-type lunch and another chance to spend time with family before making the drive back home.
Another weekend, another 36 hour trip, another state, another night's sleep in a hotel. We are thankful for the opportunity and ability to be a part of celebrations like this (we haven't always been able to), but we're also glad to be back home in our own beds. No more trips planned for awhile now :)
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