Friday, May 29, 2009

Changes, changes

The school year is coming to an end. While I'm very excited about this it also means change is in the wind. I'm not one for change. I know it's a part of life but I get very comfortable with things the way they are. I'm looking forward to having Jonathan home for the summer so that I can have all the kids together again. It's been great in some ways to have had him up at the local school and in others hard as I don't feel like we have the time I'd like together after he gets home. While the other two are done with all their school work by 3, Jonathan is just getting home and still has to complete homework and his chores. By the time that is over (since he fights doing his chores) I'm in the kitchen making dinner and then it's off to evening activities then bed. So, I miss the time we used to have all together. I hope summer lets us be together more often.

The biggest change happening this year is that Nathaniel has decided he wants to attend the local middle school for 7th grade next year. I have a lot of mixed up feelings about this. I figured I would be teaching him at home through middle school also then letting him decide for high school what he wanted to do. At the beginning of this year he announced he was wanting to attend Mt View next year. That came out of the blue and took me a little bit to get used to. I'm glad he warned me at the beginning of the year :) Though I've been able to not think about it most of the year. However, we just had to fill out his registration forms for Mt View and the other day was my last conference call with his teacher from ORCA who has been working with him for the last four years. I tried very hard not to get emotional over the phone with her :) Ms. Bartosz has been wonderful for him and very supportive. It's been great to work with the same teacher all this time as she's really gotten to know him. I feel like Nathaniel has really grown this year, both academically and as a person. He's mellowed out quite a bit and is such a great calming influence in our home. Now he's going away :( I know I make it sound so final. Like I said I get used to things and don't like to see those things change. Nathaniel has been such a tremendous help to me while he's been home and I don't want to lose that. I'm just being selfish there. It's been rather nice to run to the store really quick and let him stay home with the other two. He has very much enjoyed this new responsibility and I have very much enjoyed letting him grow in that responsibility :) I love watching Nathaniel's interaction with Seth. Some days Seth's toddler antics really get to Nathaniel but for the most part they get along great and Nathaniel is very loving toward his little brother. I'm afraid some of that will be lost when it's time for him to be gone most of the day.

I am looking forward to having only ONE child being schooled at home. Since we started with ORCA I've always had two children to work with. So, another change. I hope Elizabeth doesn't get tired of me and doesn't get too bored with her older brothers being gone for most of the day. I am looking forward to having more time with just her and Seth, and, fingers crossed, maybe a little extra time for myself and some projects I've been putting off :) HA! I am worried about the curriculum next year as they are changing it. A big reason Jonathan chose to go back was because they had changed the higher grades this year. The 4th grade stuff was just too hard and so confusing. Nothing seemed to tie together. I couldn't even follow where they were going with the lessons!! The only class he really enjoyed was the math! So, new 2nd grade books, another change to deal with. It's been really nice not having to read her stuff this year as I've already been through it twice. I just hope they are better then the 4th grade stuff or we will have to look at other options.

Anyway, some big changes around the corner. I know my kids will be fine, I'm more worried about me and handling it all without losing it :)

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Bye Bye Baby Tooth


I love it when the kids lose their front teeth and Elizabeth finally lost another one. This sucker had been loose forever but she refused to even wiggle it. She really is just terrified of it hurting. This morning it was just hanging there so Rob asked to look at it. Before she knew what had happened he had yanked it out. She was a bit shocked for a minute trying to decide if she should cry but we made such a big deal about it finally being out that she got over it!

Sunday, May 17, 2009

Thank You!!


A great big thank you to all of you who showed your support and donated to our team this year for Great Strides!!! We did make our goal :) Yesterday we got to go to Oaks Park and hang out with the hundreds of others who put together teams to raise money for the CF Foundation. I believe they announced our walk raised $150,000!! Wow! I wasn't very good about trying to create a team so our little team consisted of our family, my good friend Lori, and my brother. We decided to let Elizabeth stay the night with a friend the night before and stay with her while we were at the walk. I know she was so bored last year as she's not allowed to really play with the other kids. You just don't know who has CF and there is a very strict 3 foot rule at these things, those with CF have to keep 3 ft away from others with CF or those they just don't know. I'm glad we let her go to her friend's as those two I hear had a wonderful time together :) Anyway, it was gorgeous out, we all got a nice sunburn :) The walk was great, even found a path that shoots off and goes through another nature park so we turned into there just for the shade!

Lori, Seth and the Blazers mascott. So here is where my ignorance of sports comes into play, I still have no idea what that thing is. A wolf? A cougar? Huh? Whatever, Seth thought he was cool.

Lori works for Farmer's so we stopped to get a picture by the Farmer's sign :)

Someone took various comments off of people's team pages and printed them up and put them all over the stage. We found the one Beth and Dean Peden had posted. It says "We love you Elizabeth and want you around a long time". Thanks guys!
This is Lindsay. She runs the show every year! What is interesting about her is her daughter also has CF. Her daughter's name is Elizabeth Rose (though she goes by Ella). She is one year younger then our Elizabeth Rose AND she has red hair!! We found this out when one day the doctors got confused by the two Elizabeth's on the chart. They happened to have an appointment the same day we did. The girls have met but as I've mentioned before they won't ever be able to hang out together.

Friday, May 8, 2009

Yellow Belt

I found out last night that I did pass onto my yellow belt and I'm very excited about that! There were four of us that tested and we all passed onto the next level. We won't receive our belts until next week but it's nice to know now. I always get so nervous that I won't pass. I was very pleased with my sparring this time. I've been doing more of the fitness kickboxing and resistance bands and getting in to train more so I'm sure that all helped. I felt much stronger and better able to get in there and fight back. My kata wasn't the greatest, it never is. Kata seems like it should be so easy, it's just memorizing forms. It's the one area I just don't do so hot in though, I chalk it up to lack of grace :)
Rob and I were talking about karate the other night and discussing how one of the great things about it is that you learn to get hit. Seems a bit silly but how many of us are afraid of getting punched? I know I was, I'm not one for pain. But one skill I'm learning is how to take a punch or a kick and not whimp out. I love that! Last night was great because we got to work on actual kickboxing. We had to wear our boxing gloves and head gear and actually try and hit each other in the face. In Enshin there are no face punches so haven't ever really gotten punched in the head. Have been kicked a couple times but they were light :) So, while we weren't really making direct contact to the face it was still good to see I could get hit in the head and not freak out. Of course we were going light, we like each other, don't want to hurt anyone :)
Anyway, really enjoying myself. It's been fun to learn new things about myself. Thought I knew myself so well :) LOL I am definitely looking forward to wearing that yellow next week!!