Merry Christmas!

Whew!  All of the preparations and anticipation are well worth the time and energy, but the relaxation of the last several days has been much enjoyed and much appreciated by everyone in our family.

Christmas Eve and Christmas morning were celebrated at our church with our church family.  The kids are learning to appreciate the different aspects of these two different services.  Although the excitement and presentation of the Christmas Eve service is beautiful, we still enjoy the quieter, calmer parts of the Christmas day service.

Each family member was excited to give one gift on Christmas Eve and then all were able to sleep relatively well before the rest of the gifts were given on Christmas morning.  Everyone has been thoroughly enjoying their various presents for the last several days.

My parents came down on the afternoon of Christmas to celebrate with us for a few days.

More  food was consumed, more gifts were given, more cooking was done, more games were played, and more memories were made during their visit.

And, of course, snuggling with or playing with the kitten was high on everyone's list of enjoyable activities.

Even Grandpa's!

 Speaking of Rusty, his adjustment has gone very smoothly in our home.  He appears to be completely comfortable and settled, finding everything that he needs and wants.  His relationship with Shadow is continuing to evolve.  Instead of Shadow growling and hissing whenever Rusty enters a room, she seems to tolerate him as long as he doesn't get too close.

The poor guy just wants to make friends with Shadow, but she's not ready for that yet.

The only down side to this week has been that Matt has been dealing with a nasty cold.  Either something that passed through the rest of us in December finally caught up with him, or the rest of us can look forward to being sick the first week of January.  It's just that time of year, I guess.

Since we finally got snow on Christmas Eve, we are all now hoping for the weather to warm up a little so we can actually play in the snow.  Negative windchills (which we have had for the last week) make playing in the snow too uncomfortable!

Holiday Happenings

The kids are all off school until January 2.  In about 24 hours we went from many things happening on a daily basis to virtually no commitments outside of our house for a good, long time.

The week before last was a rough one in our house.  Anna had a series of appointments on Thursday and Friday to which Ethan came along (because it's usually just easier that way now).  Beyond the logistical challenges, these kinds of days are physically, emotionally, and mentally draining for me, and Anna, too.  Instead of returning to school for the second half of Friday, I decided that it would be best for all involved if Anna just came home.  Sure enough, she crashed in bed for an hour and then did some school at home that afternoon.

Last weekend was filled with a few different Christmas celebrations.  Saturday morning was the final rehearsal for the Christmas program, followed by the annual Gingerbread Event.  Food, fellowship, and fun memories were had by all.

In the evening our family attended the annual BCCN Christmas party at the Madison Children's Museum.  Being a part of this group provides us with a community for making the kind of connections which we are unable to make within other groups.

Last Sunday was our church's children's Christmas program.  The youth did a wonderful job with their performance while the younger kids always do a nice job singing their songs and illustrating the nativity story.

Sunday afternoon we all relaxed and tried to recharge before the coming week began.

Ethan didn't have school this last week, while the girls had classes through Thursday.  The boy and I did a bunch of housework and general managing on Monday, but we decided to take advantage of the "warm" temperatures and the sunshine on Tuesday and go for a hike.  We had another memorable afternoon together, even making crazy long shadows at one o'clock in the afternoon.

When I knew that Ethan would be home this past week, I got the idea that we should do a field trip to a museum since every time he has gone thus far in his life has been with his sisters along.  We decided on Discovery World in Milwaukee, but when we told Matt of our plans, he asked to come along :)  So while the girls were enjoying some of the holiday festivities at school on Wednesday, Matt, Ethan, and I drove over to Milwaukee for the day.

Unfortunately, I forgot to bring a camera to capture the moments, but I hope the three of us will remember our fun time without photographic evidence.  I was glad Matt was along so he could answer many of Ethan's questions about the gears, engines, hydraulics, and other mechanical items on display.  Ethan is at such a good age to enjoy some of these exhibits ... but they must tire his brain out pretty severely since he slept for a solid hour and a half on the way home.  I honestly don't remember the last time Ethan took a nap!

The afternoons this week were filled with final Christmas preparations, haircut appointments, and a family trip to Olbrich Gardens to see the trains together.

And then Thursday arrived.  Not only was it the last day of school, Bible Study day, and therapy day, but it was also the day we had scheduled to go to the kitten rescue shelter to pick out the newest member of our family.  The kids had their hearts set on bringing someone home that night, so we had to pass on a sweet girl with a broken leg, and a couple of kitties who were just a little too young.  Thankfully, though, we were able to come home with this fun guy.

After much debate, we are about 90% sure that his name is Rusty.  The kids are in love.

Especially Kate.

So far, we have been working with Shadow in small steps to introduce her to our spunky kitten.  We are hopeful that within a few days, we will be able to let Rusty out of the girls' room some during the day.  Until that time, he is getting lots of love and attention by everyone in their room, or occasionally in someone else's bedroom.

 

Now it's time to rest, recharge, and celebrate Jesus' birthday!

Extended Christmas Letter

Here's a quick review of the year for those checking in after receiving a Christmas card from our family.

Overall, 2017 was another year with milestones met and memories made for our family.  The kids are all growing, learning, and changing, and us parents are doing some of the same, too.  We continue to do our best to balance the differing needs and interests of our children, but also to make sure we are able to build our family relationships as well.

2017 started off with a bang as I spent the New Year's weekend with some college friends (Mom's Weekend Away) while Matt held down the fort at home.  Then January and February were all about keeping warm and keeping routines in place, especially as Anna has a round of several appointments every February (Appointments, Communication, and Paperwork).  Those few weeks were a good trial run for some of the flexibility we needed later in the year.

Our spring break this year was relatively low key, with a short trip up to visit my parents for maple syrup season (Spring Break - part 1), an overnight in the WI Dells (Spring Break - part 2), and lots of down time at home (Spring Break - part 3), which we all needed.

Then in April, Kate and I were able to take a weekend adventure to Denver to visit my brother, his wife, and their new baby, born in February.  (Colorado Trip - part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4) The memories Kate and I made will be cherished for a long time to come, and Matt survived just fine with the other two kiddos at home.

Soon after we returned, we began the first part of the year dealing with Anna's eyes.  After a series of appointments regarding a bump underneath Anna's right eye, surgery was scheduled in May to remove the bump, as well as to tweek some of the muscles to correct her double vision (Surgery Day).  The next day, our dear Kate turned 8 (Happy Birthday, Kate!).

Both girls finished up a great school year in early June (End of the School Year) and we left soon after for a family vacation to Door County (Family Vacation -Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Part 4).  Later in June, Matt's parents came to WI to visit us for a few days (Visit from the Sr. Mischnicks).

Then on June 27, Miss Anna turned 10 (Happy Birthday, Anna!) which we celebrated a few weeks later with some friends from school (Fourth of July Week and a Birthday Party).

Anna participated in an intensive therapy program again in July this past summer.  She made great progress with her strength, coordination, balance, and endurance, and continued to build upon some great relationships with fellow Advance kids as well as therapists (CI Summer Camp Week 4).  During the month, Kate alternated between helping Ethan and me with gardening tasks and attending a few different camps of her own.

The kids and I headed back to Augusta in early August for a few days away (Summer), but returned in time to deal with the peaches, tomatoes, corn, apples, pears, and other ripe fruits, along with another round of appointments (Full Days).

And then the kids began another year of school, with Anna in 5th grade, Kate in 3rd grade, and Ethan in preK (First Days of School).  September ended with our family's participation in the Badger Childhood Cancer Network's annual Badger Superhero Run (Superhero Run), while October started with a second eye surgery for Anna (Surgery Day).

The fall was filled with continued transitions to school and many activities at church, including a spectacular celebration of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation (Reformation and Halloween) and Anna's first communion (IEPs and First Communion).

Then came a Thanksgiving gathering in Waterloo, Iowa (Happy Thanksgiving) followed closely by Mr. Ethan's 5th birthday (Happy Birthday, Ethan!).  Unfortunately, our time since then has been spent battling a number of different colds and viruses that continue to make their rounds within our family.

The kids continue to be in good places right now.  Anna is a 5th grader and still likes her experiences at school and therapy, for the most part.  She continues to enjoy math the most, but will also tell you that reading, writing, and art are also favorites.  Playing with her siblings or playing games with a parent are still her preferred leisure activities.  Throughout the year she has been learning various piano songs and skills, depending on the outside demands on her time and energy.

3nd grader Kate is always resistant about beginning a new school year, but mostly because she values her free time greatly.  This year, Kate has been encouraged and challenged in her academics by the school and classroom library at her new building, as well as through some enrichment classes.  She also joined up with 4H this fall and has had some very positive experiences thus far.  Kate's favorite leisure activity is reading, but playing imagination games still follows close behind.  Kate has been taking piano lessons from me most regularly of the three kids and picks up on the concepts and skills relatively quickly, although she isn't too fond of practicing.

Ethan turned 5 in November and is in his first year of structured school.  His preK class meets three mornings a week from 8:15-11:15, with one of those days extending later this winter.  He will certainly be ready for Kindergarten next fall, socially, emotionally, and academically.  Ethan's favorite activities include building with his hot wheels tracks, playing the piano, playing with Kate, snuggling with a parent, or learning about a new mechanical idea/object (combines and clocks are recent interests).  In September, Ethan expressed a strong interest in learning how to play the piano and has been learning a few different simple melodies from me this fall.  He definitely has an ear and a heart for music.

Matt celebrated his 11th year at GE Healthcare this summer.  The year has brought some changes and uncertainty to the larger GE company, as well as to his site.  As with other years, his interest and passion for the work ebbs and flows.  And as with any job, some parts are more enjoyable than others.  Regardless of the day-to-day specifics, we continue to be thankful for Matt's job stability and the support of the co-workers at his site.

At this time, I continue to enjoy being the general manager for our family of five.  Our garden and fruit trees did well again this past summer, providing us with plenty of delicious foods for the coming cold months, as well as an outlet for my non-parenting energies.  The extra time of the last few months while all three kids were in school gave me more opportunity to think than I have had in several years.  Those thoughts continue to travel between past, present, and future, especially in light of Ethan beginning Kindergarten next fall.  No firm plans are in place, but we have a few options in mind.

While our lives are still definitely different from those with typically developing children, we have found ways to make it our own and enjoy it for what it is.  Our faith has continued to sustain us during the difficult times, and given us extra reasons to rejoice in all circumstances.

Stay tuned for a longer post with medical and rehab updates about Anna.  I plan on getting one of those together someday soon!

St. Nicholas, Christmas programs, and the cold(s)

Last Tuesday night, St. Nicholas visited our home.  Our conversations and expectations leading up to this event were somewhat surprising.  When Matt reminded everyone that they should leave their boots outside the front door, Anna's face lit up as she remembered the date.  Then Ethan piped in with, "I know who is really St. Nicholas ...", followed by his pointing and gesturing to the adults in the room.  We thought we were finally off the hook with trying to keep up the charade; both girls had told us very similar things in years past.

But then the kids seemed to be genuinely surprised when St. Nicholas left them with their favorite candy, and Ethan was shocked when Matt slipped up later in the week by mentioned that he bought the candy for the grown-ups this year.  I think Kate is observant and bright enough to have connected all of the dots in years past, but maybe Ethan and Anna are just more trusting by nature to have given into the illusion of St. Nicholas.

Either way, we will continue the tradition in years to come.  We still feel the importance of focusing on Jesus' birth and gift giving at Christmas.

The big gift from St. Nicholas, though, this year was an announcement that our family will be getting a kitten in the coming weeks.  Kate, who has been asking/begging for a kitten for a few years now, is SO excited.  Part of the expectation from St. Nicholas, too, was that the girls had to do some research prior to adopting a kitten.  The questions of what we need, from whom we should adopt, and how we should introduce a kitten to an established cat (Shadow) were all ones that needed to be answered.

Kate, more so than Anna, has fully risen to the occasion by spearheading the necessary research.  She came home each day last week with a new list of some sort ... the steps to introduce the kitten to Shadow, the supplies we need, possible names, as well as a book from the school library all about kittens.  We're all looking forward to the winter break from school for a variety of reasons :)

While the kids have been preparing for this year's Christmas program at church, Ethan already had his preK Christmas program this past Sunday.  This boy seemed confident, proud, and joyful during all of the songs the kids sang.  He's still a fun one to be around.  Not only did he smile whenever he caught the eye of one of his family members, but he also waved to us or gave us a thumbs-up about half a dozen times.

On a slightly different note, the kids up here in Wisconsin don't really know what to do with themselves this December.  Usually by this point we've already had a few snowstorms and had the chance to play in the snow and/or go sledding.  Although it's been cold enough a handful of different times, we have only received a dusting of snow once or twice.  When it snowed the first time back in November, the snow didn't stick around for more than about an hour and there wasn't much opportunity to play in it.

Friday night, however, we got about an inch of the fluffy white stuff, and then (after most of that had melted) we got another inch or so on Monday.  Saturday morning the kids all bundled up to play in the meager amount of snow for about 45 minutes ... here's Kate's creation from that morning.

Monday after school she made a mini snowbaby to lay next to this snowman.

I hope we get some real snowfalls one of these days, at least for the sake of the kids at recess.  Snow is what makes the winter fun up here.

When it doesn't seem to be worth it to play outside, Ethan and I have been cooking and baking in preparation for various holiday events.  Ethan was thrilled on Monday afternoon to work with the extra gingerbread dough while I worked on cutting out our gingerbread house pieces.

And finally, unfortunately, we are still working through various viruses here in our home.  Anna's cold either mutated into a second one this past weekend or just gave her a fresh round of congestion and coughs.  None of the illnesses have been too major, just long lasting and overlapping.  We're going on more than 6 weeks now of one or more family members having a nasty cough.  I miss the relative health of the summer months :(

Christmas in the Village

Every year, McFarland hosts a "Christmas in the Village" celebration during the first weekend in December.  Many area businesses have open houses, special deals, or free treats.  Just about every local organization does something during the weekend.  In years past, we have participated in craft activities and a St. Nick's shop during the day while often ending the excitement with a community bonfire, tree lighting, and lighted fire truck parade.

This year was a little difference since Kate has joined 4H.

Friday evening the kids and I had signed up to be bell ringers for the Salvation Army at the local grocery store.  We were joined by Kate's friend and her family.

These five kids were filled with holiday enthusiasm as they welcomed every customer with a joyful "Merry Christmas!"  We hope they weren't too overwhelming of a group for the Friday evening shoppers.  I think the smiles and warm responses from those walking past were reassurance enough that their presence was enjoyed.

Friday morning Kate and I brought our baked goods to sell and also completed our shift at the Bake Sale, which raised money for the K9 unit of the McFarland Police Department.  After our 2 hours of organizing, doing some last minute marketing/advertising, and selling, Kate told me that she wished she could have stayed longer.

I think we may have found a good niche for Kate, finally :)

We picked up our lunch from the Brat Fry right next door (which was raising money for the 4H group), and went home to join the rest of the family and my parents, who were in town for the day to exchange some holiday goods.

In the afternoon, Grandpa and Grandma played more games with Anna while Kate went with a friend to do a zip line at the local Bible Camp.  Kate is certainly gaining some confidence as she successfully did this zip line, which started at 2-3 stories high.

After the grandparents left, we all had some free time before we ended the day at the bonfire, tree lighting, and fire truck parade.  Now that all three kids are in some sort of school, we find ourselves running into more and more people we recognize in the community.  Saturday evening was no different.

In the midst of the preparations for the weekend, a new cold began making its rounds among the family.  Sore throats, stuffy noses, coughs, yuck.  Anna seems to have the worst of it this time, after skirting by the last month with few cold symptoms at all.  Poor girl has always had a hard time with the coughs and this virus is no different.

But, we have slowly been getting out our Christmas decorations and are getting more and more excited about the holiday happenings that are coming up in the next few weeks.