 |
 |
 |
| More snow!! And Maggie and Silas learned how to make a fort with some help from Mom, who still remembers a lot about snow from growing up in Ontario. |
| And here is one of the reasons why snow is a lot more fun when you are a kid, than when you are the Mom.... |
Another thing I love,
watching my kids play
games together. Look
what buddies they are!
I am so happy they
have each other.
There is always
someone to play with.
watching my kids play
games together. Look
what buddies they are!
I am so happy they
have each other.
There is always
someone to play with.
Interesting weather! The snow melted a few days later, and then we
had a day with wind gusts of 45 mph! It was a Winds-day, and it was a
very blustery day.... outside. We watched in amazement as Hannah's
big trampoline blew clear across the yard, uphill, to the back fence.
She tied it off so it wouldn't go any further.
had a day with wind gusts of 45 mph! It was a Winds-day, and it was a
very blustery day.... outside. We watched in amazement as Hannah's
big trampoline blew clear across the yard, uphill, to the back fence.
She tied it off so it wouldn't go any further.
And a tree at the side of our house blew down! We also had
some siding start to blow off the back of the house, and Art
came home from work to tack it back up.
some siding start to blow off the back of the house, and Art
came home from work to tack it back up.
Another game Canaan loves to play with
the kids is Nerf guns. He makes up the
rules of play, and they will play all over
the house, or out back, and run around
for over an hour. Canaan says I
wouldn't let him have a Nerf gun when
he was little, so he's enjoying it now. I
don't recall this, but it sounds likely.
But then again, Canaan didn't have a
big brother to run around supervising it
all either, so it is a bit different now.
the kids is Nerf guns. He makes up the
rules of play, and they will play all over
the house, or out back, and run around
for over an hour. Canaan says I
wouldn't let him have a Nerf gun when
he was little, so he's enjoying it now. I
don't recall this, but it sounds likely.
But then again, Canaan didn't have a
big brother to run around supervising it
all either, so it is a bit different now.
I was amused at walking in the kitchen
and seeing Canaan show his new Nerf
gun to Hannah while she is eating lunch.
and seeing Canaan show his new Nerf
gun to Hannah while she is eating lunch.
Another recent happening in our
house is the recent demise of
our dishwasher. Yes, we bought
it only three years ago, and have
had trouble with it the whole
time. It's been repaired twice,
and we were told it wasn't meant
to be used as often as we use it.
Baloney. It's a Maytag, and it
should have lasted more than
three years. Anyway, we all pitch
in now to wash dishes by hand,
but since we only have one sink,
we are improvising. And yes, I
am whining. But on the other
hand, if you were going to have a
major appliance breakdown, the
dishwasher is probably the best
one, don't you think?
house is the recent demise of
our dishwasher. Yes, we bought
it only three years ago, and have
had trouble with it the whole
time. It's been repaired twice,
and we were told it wasn't meant
to be used as often as we use it.
Baloney. It's a Maytag, and it
should have lasted more than
three years. Anyway, we all pitch
in now to wash dishes by hand,
but since we only have one sink,
we are improvising. And yes, I
am whining. But on the other
hand, if you were going to have a
major appliance breakdown, the
dishwasher is probably the best
one, don't you think?
And the kids love their Cranium Tubes that our friends sent them for
Christmas. Canaan is very creative with them, and here he
constructed a bowling alley for them, complete with ball return. He
plays long games of bowling with them, and keeps score, never
cutting them any slack, and making them play it the right way. They
love it, and they adore him.
Christmas. Canaan is very creative with them, and here he
constructed a bowling alley for them, complete with ball return. He
plays long games of bowling with them, and keeps score, never
cutting them any slack, and making them play it the right way. They
love it, and they adore him.
So with a couple more
inches of snow, we
went out in the
morning and enjoyed
some sledding in the
back yard. We don't
have sleds, so we slid
on snowboards.
inches of snow, we
went out in the
morning and enjoyed
some sledding in the
back yard. We don't
have sleds, so we slid
on snowboards.
When the snow
started melting in our
back yard, we went
out looking for a
better hill and more
snow in Mr. Homer
and Mrs. Cindy's yard.
started melting in our
back yard, we went
out looking for a
better hill and more
snow in Mr. Homer
and Mrs. Cindy's yard.
Hey! I gotta idea!!! Let's try
actually snowboarding on the
snowboards! Why not?
actually snowboarding on the
snowboards! Why not?
It wasn't as easy as I thought it
would be, but after a few tries I got
the hang of it I think. It was fun!
would be, but after a few tries I got
the hang of it I think. It was fun!
Then Maggie wanted to try it.
Wow!! What a natural! I don't know
whether it has anything to do with
the lower center of gravity, or just
youthful enthusiasm and grit, but
she had NO problems. In fact,
after going down the hill a couple
times, she tried to jump! And she
did it too!!
Wow!! What a natural! I don't know
whether it has anything to do with
the lower center of gravity, or just
youthful enthusiasm and grit, but
she had NO problems. In fact,
after going down the hill a couple
times, she tried to jump! And she
did it too!!
Not to be outdone, Eden had to
have a try. And bless her heart,
she did great too! The little squirt
went down several times without
falling! Now we need to figure out
a way to take them to the
mountains and try it for reals!
These pictures aren't so clear
because they are stills taken from
video.
Silas and Isaac did try it, by the
way, but were not quite as
successful. I think with some
practice they might get the hang of
it though.
have a try. And bless her heart,
she did great too! The little squirt
went down several times without
falling! Now we need to figure out
a way to take them to the
mountains and try it for reals!
These pictures aren't so clear
because they are stills taken from
video.
Silas and Isaac did try it, by the
way, but were not quite as
successful. I think with some
practice they might get the hang of
it though.
Jordan took
the black
and white
photos.
the black
and white
photos.
I will end this update with one of my favorite shots of Eden that
Jordan took. How can anyone say no to that squishy face???
Jordan took. How can anyone say no to that squishy face???
My Valentine from Art... frozen bananas
with peanut butter, chocolate, and ice
cream. (the one on the left is a heart, and
the right is a "U") :-)
with peanut butter, chocolate, and ice
cream. (the one on the left is a heart, and
the right is a "U") :-)
| Hannah reading to the kids. And Isaac, wearing goggles for some reason. |
Mrs. Cindy and Mr. Homer
hooked up the kids for
Valentine's Day! They got
goodie bags and crafts to
do. The girls got bird
houses and the boys got
cars. They had a blast
making them and were so
proud of the result.
hooked up the kids for
Valentine's Day! They got
goodie bags and crafts to
do. The girls got bird
houses and the boys got
cars. They had a blast
making them and were so
proud of the result.
For the boys' cars we had to mix
up some plaster for a mold, and
there was some left over. I
suggested making bug magnets
like we had done when Jordan,
Hannah and Canaan were little,
where you pour the plaster into
plastic spoons to mold the shapes,
and then paint them. But then
Maggie had the idea to make faces
out of them. I thought that was an
even better idea! Once we poured
them all, we saw we had enough to
make one for each person in our
family. So Maggie painted each
one to look like each of us, and
chose the hair, which I hot glued
on. They turned out really cute I
thought!
up some plaster for a mold, and
there was some left over. I
suggested making bug magnets
like we had done when Jordan,
Hannah and Canaan were little,
where you pour the plaster into
plastic spoons to mold the shapes,
and then paint them. But then
Maggie had the idea to make faces
out of them. I thought that was an
even better idea! Once we poured
them all, we saw we had enough to
make one for each person in our
family. So Maggie painted each
one to look like each of us, and
chose the hair, which I hot glued
on. They turned out really cute I
thought!
More crafts... Remember the awesome shirts
Jordan made for Hannah for her birthday? Well I
asked her to help me make a shirt for my dad for
his birthday. She told me what to do, and I chose
the design I wanted and cut out the stencil.
Jordan helped me spray the bleach and blot it, and
we all thought the result looked awesome! Hope
my dad likes it too!
Jordan made for Hannah for her birthday? Well I
asked her to help me make a shirt for my dad for
his birthday. She told me what to do, and I chose
the design I wanted and cut out the stencil.
Jordan helped me spray the bleach and blot it, and
we all thought the result looked awesome! Hope
my dad likes it too!
And here is a drawing Hannah
made of Maggie...
made of Maggie...
Not many things as cute
as a five year old
washing dishes...
as a five year old
washing dishes...
More cuteness...
Isaac asked Hannah to
read him a book, and
she was busy doing
something, so Silas
said, "I'll read to you."
And he did! My little
boy can read to his
little brother now!
(And the brown on
their faces is
mustaches and beards
we drew on them
earlier in the day.(
Isaac asked Hannah to
read him a book, and
she was busy doing
something, so Silas
said, "I'll read to you."
And he did! My little
boy can read to his
little brother now!
(And the brown on
their faces is
mustaches and beards
we drew on them
earlier in the day.(
And Maggie lost her
second tooth! The
cuteness just
keeps on and on...
second tooth! The
cuteness just
keeps on and on...
We tackled the tree that fell
down and cut it up in pieces.
All the little ones helped
Daddy out.
down and cut it up in pieces.
All the little ones helped
Daddy out.
February 13, 2010 UPDATE:
I am not updating as often as I would like to, but you haven't missed too much. We have some pictures of Hannah's birthday, and
some pictures of playing in the snow. Like almost everyone else in America, we've gotten a good amount of snow, and the kids
are making the most of it. Even last night we got a couple more inches, and everything is sparkly and clean and white. It is a
sunny day and the snow is so bright. Very pretty.
Eden went to her annual Cleft Clinic this week. It was just a Mommy and Eden day, and although I wasn't really looking forward to
the long drive and spending the day going from doctor's office to doctor's office (and tons of waiting), it actually turned out to be
pretty fun. Eden is just so much fun, and she charmed everyone everywhere we went. By the time we went to her last
appointment, the surgeon walked in and said, "I've been hearing so much about her all morning; everyone in the office wants to
take her home with them!"
We also got some good information about what is next for Eden. She still has quite a large fistula (hole) in her mouth. Her
situation is a little unique from most cleft kids because she came to us with a habit of sticking her tongue up in the cleft, and
when this was surgically repaired, she continued to push her tongue (which, she has a very strong tongue) up into the repaired
area, eventually opening it up wider and wider. Add to this that she developed a habit when she was about four of sticking her
entire thumb up into the fistula when she is tired or sleeping. She doesn't suck her thumb, she just holds it up there. We don't
know why; I guess it must feel good. I have no idea what it must feel like to have the roof of your mouth opened clear into your
nasal cavities, so I tend to be sympathetic with her desire to do this. But the bottom line is, as long as she has this huge hole in
her mouth, we can't work on her speech, because the parts of her mouth just aren't there. And as long as she keeps putting her
hand and tongue in the hole, they can't do any surgery to repair this. SOoooo.... the next step is, to get her obturator working
again. An obturator is a mouth appliance that covers the hole, and she had one made over a year ago, but it kept falling out, and
we couldn't get it to stay in, or for her to stop spitting it out, so we gave up. Well, it appears that this is now the key to any further
progress for Eden. So we are going to get the obturator adjusted and refitted, possibly having a new one made, and
aggressively make her wear it, until she breaks these oral habits. She's not going to like it. It should also help with her speech.
Once she will consistently keep her hand out of her mouth for six months, and will cooperate with having further surgery, she
can have a flap surgery done where they take skin from the inside of her cheek to cover the cleft. This is what we are going to
work towards. Otherwise, she cannot even begin to work on proper speech until she has had her bone graft surgery at nine or
ten years old. She is almost six now, and it is becoming more of an issue that she is difficult to understand, and knows that she
is hard to understand, and is becoming frustrated.
Every doctor we saw was surprised that she still had such a large fistula and were amazed that she didn't get food stuck up
there, or drink leak out. She negotiates it very well. She is amazing. Also, everyone we met who stopped to talk to her guessed
her age to be either four... or three! No, she's actually almost six!! She's a little thing, but not that little. I think part of it, again, is
her speech makes her sound younger than she is. Another good thing we found out, was despite the fact that her mouth is in
pretty bad shape, the structure of her mouth is actually pretty good. While other cleft kids I know are going through palate
expansions at her age, and other orthodontics to prepare for later, apparently her palate is plenty wide, so we won't have to go
through that.
So instead of uploading this update on Saturday, as planned, I got distracted by some new snow, and went outside to play with
the kids. I added some more pictures on the Feb 2010 page of us sledding and snowboarding and having a great time!!
Nothing particularly new on the work front, just more waiting and waiting. We did get our federal tax refund (which was not
nearly as much as it was in past years), but our state refund has been delayed because we are getting audited! Lovely, huh?
Besides that, all is basically well as we shiver and wait for Spring to come!!!
I am not updating as often as I would like to, but you haven't missed too much. We have some pictures of Hannah's birthday, and
some pictures of playing in the snow. Like almost everyone else in America, we've gotten a good amount of snow, and the kids
are making the most of it. Even last night we got a couple more inches, and everything is sparkly and clean and white. It is a
sunny day and the snow is so bright. Very pretty.
Eden went to her annual Cleft Clinic this week. It was just a Mommy and Eden day, and although I wasn't really looking forward to
the long drive and spending the day going from doctor's office to doctor's office (and tons of waiting), it actually turned out to be
pretty fun. Eden is just so much fun, and she charmed everyone everywhere we went. By the time we went to her last
appointment, the surgeon walked in and said, "I've been hearing so much about her all morning; everyone in the office wants to
take her home with them!"
We also got some good information about what is next for Eden. She still has quite a large fistula (hole) in her mouth. Her
situation is a little unique from most cleft kids because she came to us with a habit of sticking her tongue up in the cleft, and
when this was surgically repaired, she continued to push her tongue (which, she has a very strong tongue) up into the repaired
area, eventually opening it up wider and wider. Add to this that she developed a habit when she was about four of sticking her
entire thumb up into the fistula when she is tired or sleeping. She doesn't suck her thumb, she just holds it up there. We don't
know why; I guess it must feel good. I have no idea what it must feel like to have the roof of your mouth opened clear into your
nasal cavities, so I tend to be sympathetic with her desire to do this. But the bottom line is, as long as she has this huge hole in
her mouth, we can't work on her speech, because the parts of her mouth just aren't there. And as long as she keeps putting her
hand and tongue in the hole, they can't do any surgery to repair this. SOoooo.... the next step is, to get her obturator working
again. An obturator is a mouth appliance that covers the hole, and she had one made over a year ago, but it kept falling out, and
we couldn't get it to stay in, or for her to stop spitting it out, so we gave up. Well, it appears that this is now the key to any further
progress for Eden. So we are going to get the obturator adjusted and refitted, possibly having a new one made, and
aggressively make her wear it, until she breaks these oral habits. She's not going to like it. It should also help with her speech.
Once she will consistently keep her hand out of her mouth for six months, and will cooperate with having further surgery, she
can have a flap surgery done where they take skin from the inside of her cheek to cover the cleft. This is what we are going to
work towards. Otherwise, she cannot even begin to work on proper speech until she has had her bone graft surgery at nine or
ten years old. She is almost six now, and it is becoming more of an issue that she is difficult to understand, and knows that she
is hard to understand, and is becoming frustrated.
Every doctor we saw was surprised that she still had such a large fistula and were amazed that she didn't get food stuck up
there, or drink leak out. She negotiates it very well. She is amazing. Also, everyone we met who stopped to talk to her guessed
her age to be either four... or three! No, she's actually almost six!! She's a little thing, but not that little. I think part of it, again, is
her speech makes her sound younger than she is. Another good thing we found out, was despite the fact that her mouth is in
pretty bad shape, the structure of her mouth is actually pretty good. While other cleft kids I know are going through palate
expansions at her age, and other orthodontics to prepare for later, apparently her palate is plenty wide, so we won't have to go
through that.
So instead of uploading this update on Saturday, as planned, I got distracted by some new snow, and went outside to play with
the kids. I added some more pictures on the Feb 2010 page of us sledding and snowboarding and having a great time!!
Nothing particularly new on the work front, just more waiting and waiting. We did get our federal tax refund (which was not
nearly as much as it was in past years), but our state refund has been delayed because we are getting audited! Lovely, huh?
Besides that, all is basically well as we shiver and wait for Spring to come!!!