15 years

Of my sweet middle son.....well, in a couple of days.  He's growing up well and most days we're pretty proud of him.  :)

Happy birthday my sweet boy.

character

She's got character.  Every year.  She really is a great kid.  Usually she gets respect, but this year's teacher gave her polite.  Good either way.  Love our girl.

School Daze

Too little time.  I finally cleaned the photos off my phone.  Jaemin really had a great time on his field trip.  He mostly hung out with K who is part Korean....funny how they just clicked. I also cleaned off the picture of Jae and his teacher at the awards banquet we went to with her.  Onto 1st grade in just a few weeks.

 Jaemin and his crew.

 He touched a snake.

 My baby and I after we lunched together.

Best picture Jaemin has ever taken.

Guess I'm behind again!

I really have been SO busy.  There are very few hours in a week that we're home without something that needs done or we're not home at all.  I dread football AND volleyball.  Gymnastics and volleyball have been hard enough...plus weight lifting mornings and track afternoons.  Still less running than we'll have in the fall.  But, the kids can only be young once!

Easter....

And tonight, Chelsi's class did their Spring program to Disney.  They all could either wear dress clothes or Disney costumes.  We still had Pocahontas sitting around.  We got tons of compliments!
She is pretty great.

Happy Birthday!!

I can't believe he's 18 already.  Every older parent always tried to tell me how time flies by and you really never believe it when your first couple are so young.  Then, it happens and you realize how fast it will happen to your other kids.  Now, hopefully, it brings maturity, added respect and responsibility.  Love you Cole.

Living life

Not posting much.  Just trying to enjoy life.  Stopping to take pictures and write either causes me to lose memories or sleep.  I don't like losing either, however, my memory itself is so bad, I get afraid that if I don't write things down I'll forget things.

Jaemin has been great.  I sent to his Valentines party and he really does act like most of the other kids, most of the time.  I love that he will still hug and kiss me goodbye in front of his classmates when I left to go to Chelsi's for a bit.  He's still struggling with writing.  We work hard, at night, to get a handle on this, literally.  I love that he comes to me and tells me that if dad doesn't want to snuggle, he will.  I love how much he loves to take care of me and know it won't last forever, but he's such a sweetheart.  He's getting to be so smart.  He has great comebacks now.  He's beginning to think so fast.

Chelsi is beginning the moody phase of pre-teens.  She's still doing well in school, but for the first time ever she's struggling in science.  Not struggling the way most parents think. I mean she brought her grade right back up to an A, she just had trouble on the state of masses.  She cracks me up at how much she wants everyone to feel loved and never left out.  She had written me a thank you note around Thanksgiving as part of an assignment.   It was a sweet note to thank us for adopting her saying she didn't know where she would be without us.  Last week, she wrote me another letter telling me how great of a mom I am and thanking me again for adopting her.  She said it wasn't an assignment, they just had to write anything and that's what she chose.  I explained to her she never owes us anything for adopting her, but that it was sweet of her to say.  Brian felt left out that she always wrote "I love you mom" for everything.  So when I was at her party, she gave me something she decorated that said "I love dad", but you could see the outlined MO behind it.  She had begun to write "mom" and partially erased it.  I told her her dad would be able to see it, so she grabbed it and erased it the best she could.  It was too funny.  That day, she brought home a construction paper, pink heart, that said the they all loved us both "equally" and we "should never forget it".  She signed everyone's names.  I asked her if she was sure about that and she said "well me and Jaemin anyways".  She's so funny AND sweet.

Kaelin is still on the easily erased side.  Meaning she easily erases the details of what she should do and does some of them, some of the time.  But, if you want someone to take care of the family, it's her..  I got up this morning and she was getting ready to warm up Jaemin's biscuits and gravy.  She would have had him eat, got him down and cleaned up the mess if I never came in.  She's Chase's buddy.  When he went out to clean snow, she was out there with him, working hard, right behind  him.  She struggles in school and math is not her subject, but if I gently remind her as she gets out fo the van to "bring your grades up", she will.  She wanted signed up for parks and rec volleyball again this spring and when I contacted last year's coach she said she could be on the team because she didn't play club, even though it's just parks and rec and she's just a 6th grader.  She said she would just play with kids from other schools.  Secretly, I hope when they try out for 7th grade at school, she kicks some butt, because I think it was a jealous mom thing more than a club thing and it was pretty mean to only exclude 2 girls from our school.

Chase is trying to take football a little more seriously.  He's working out 3-5 times/week.  Whenever the weight room is open anyways.  The bad parents we are, we give him ice cream as an incentive.  Hey, he could use the weight gain, so it's okay right now.  He must be growing.  For the last 3-4 weeks he's been eating a crazy amount of food and is constantly still hungry.  I haven't seen him do this in years.  Jaemin's following big brother in the eating area.  We have a lot of concrete and Chase wants lure materials so bad that he pretty much cleaned 4-5 inches of snow off the whole thing (upper and lower driveway). He's out of money after he cleaned himself out (not his bank savings) to buy the rifle and he just loves to make his lures so much.  We paid him for the driveway by buying some supplies he badly needed.  I don't mind spending a little more than we would have paid in cash for something that's a really good, creative hobby for him.  I think he's trying to go into manhood right now as his voice is finally starting to crack just a little.  Off and on....mostly off, but it has been doing it from time-to-time.  But, heck Cole still cracks on occasion.  Hoping he'll focus a little more on his grades now.  His grades are good, but his potential is better.

Cole is trying to grow up, but at the same time is not ready for the responsibility of a person with no school life.  Meaning if he doesn't go to college, the reality of working fulltime and paying his bills might be hard.  He needs to earn enough for his junk food stomach.  I think he's got more in mind than he lets on.  I think he may be scared, just a little, about real life and doesn't want to talk about it often and I get that.  I just hope come August, he'll either be in the union or going off to college.  He's smart and he can do it all.  He just has to want it.  Whatever it is, I hope he tries hard.

I finally did get my camera out today.  And don't mistake Jaemin and Chase's faces for unhappiness.....it was COLD!

Halloween 2014!

It was pretty cool on Halloween, but awesome since it was a Friday!  Chase had a football game, so that's where Brian went and Cole hung out with friends....actually, I came home to him and a couple of them hanging out watching movies.  My boss had mentioned he gave out full-sized candy bars.  When I realized he lived in our town, I told them kids we would go there as well.  We drove around for 2 hours....well part of that was stopping at their grandparents and walking the neighborhood.  We went down a street that K has always wanted to since there are about 30 houses.  We ended up with 3 oversized bowls of candy.  It was a LOT of candy.  Jaemin was tired of doing it just a few houses in and after doing the trunk or treat.  By the time we got to the big neighborhood and he was able to just run in the yards from house-to-house he was ready for more.  He was really, really getting into it about the time we were done.  His poor little nose was red and a little snotty from the cool weather.  y the way, the picture below is of them and K is a zombie football player.  She wasn't going to dress up, but then we told her if she wanted to, she could and since Chase's practice uniform was home she grabbed it.  She was going to dress up like Chase, but we couldn't find his beloved Bass Pro hat.  Likely he had it with him at school.  So, yeah the look she's giving in the picture is a zombie.  My little Pocahontas, zombie football player and teenage mutant ninja turtles.

Sweet Slumber

School's very hard on him some days.  This is J when he earns laying in bed at bedtime.  You can tell weather's turning cool.  So cute!

Snippits

Decided to, once again, take some time to change camera settings.  In the evening in the kids' room is best to test.  Just dark enough I have to either open the aperture or or up the ISO.  I did both and finally got some to come out.  Jaemin really is changing and loves to play school and other things.  Before kindergarten he was never much on pretend play.  The kids all had good parent teacher conferences.  Nothing startling, which is good.

Jaemin had mastered everything he should at this point and got a + on every behavior item.  Jaemin's teacher's going to try to get Jaemin some more help.  After having him, in class, for 3 months she says there's no way an IQ of 82 is correct.  I knew that, but nice to know someone agrees.  She said he's in the high reading class and can't help but think he needs language therapy and needs tested for auditory processing disorder, which can't be done until 7.  I'm all for this.  Some other A-parents have suggested ADD or ADHD, but I really don't think that's the issue.  I have an ADHD kid and Jaemin's processing speed has been tested and it's fast like Chelsi's, but only when he understands what you say.  I'm anxious to get to the next step for him because he's already blossomed so much.  He'll be amazing!

Chelsi is the same as always....super high reader as in off the charts.  Very high in math, but not the highest, still great.  Super polite, kind and respectful in school.  She'll be getting the politeness award this week.

Kaelin I was only able too talk to a teacher by phone.  She had the same concerns I did and that's that she's rushing through her math, so we've now approached her and I'm sure it will be fine.

Chase had all As and his homeroom Physics teacher had no concerns.

We didn't even set an appointment for Cole since he's in his senior year and we have no academic concerns.

We took the kids out to eat last night and they got to order anything they wanted.  Luckily, this little place is not too expensive.  The little kids even got milk shakes.  We really wanted to spend a little extra and reward the kids for their grades.  Cole's were the lowest at 3.6.  Pretty good for 5 kids in school.  Then, we got Cole's acceptance to the college of his choice.  It's a 2 year and he will go into become an electrician if all goes well.  All he has to do is send in his final transcripts at the end of the year.  YAY!  Such a huge step....one will hopefully go to college next fall.

Great Field Trip

I've never done the kindergarten one before.  I ripped my jeans on baling wire, but Jaemin had a great time at the pumpkin farm and I didn't have to go back to work.  Boy was he tired at the football game tonight though.  9pm is the witching hour for Jaemin for sure!

Cheer!

I love Cheer Fair.  It's so fun to watch Chelsi go out there and shake it.  That girl has definitely got it.  They practice for one night, learn a few cheers and a dance routine.  She was a little worried because she said the routine was harder than in years past, but as soon as that music started to play she remembered.  It was obvious.  She's going to make a great cheerleader one day.  The only downside to last night was it was cold and drizzly.  But, we all survived...though you would have thought Jaemin was dying by the end.  He just wanted to see his friend L who had gone home.  Chase got in on the last few minutes of the Varsity game since they were killing them and while no plays came to his side, he did get a carry on offense.  I would have rathered him get a defensive tackle, but that's the way it goes.  The pictures are from my camera while videotaping, so they're not that clear.

Perfect night

For s'mores.  We did it the real way with Hersheys, marshmallows and the name brand graham crackers.  I think Camo wanted one.

Kaelin Day

Today is Kaelin's 12th birthday in Korea and tomorrow is her 12th birthday here.  Of course, in Korean age she's already 13.  We have a birthday party for cousins tomorrow, so we decided to do her stuff tonight since it's still her birthday somewhere in the world.  She wanted pizza, so we went grocery shopping and brought home some pizza and watched God's Not Dead.  Very interesting movie.  Anyway, Princess Kaelin wanted white cupcakes, so I found some with rainbows on them and bought some animal print candles for her.  She's moving on and I told her only one year until she's officially a teenager, though in a lot of ways age doesn't matter to teenagers.  You get a teenager based on biology not age....I've got 3.  I told her she needs to think enough of herself to do what's best for herself no matter what.  Basically, value herself.  I think she'll do well.  I have worries....always, but she's a good girl at heart and does try.  I see her as the child that will do what she needs to to succeed.  I see her going to college and providing for herself and finding  herself before she moves into a permanent relationship.  This is important for my girl.  We love her to Korea and back.

Last night, we took the 3 little kids up with us to the complex for the high school's first football game of the season.  It was close to 100 degrees, but we brought water and sweated through it.  The boys on the field had it much worse, obviously.  Chase was not going to get to play for sure.  He's a freshman and it was a varsity game and a hard and big one.  But, I just wanted to at least go to the game to see him step onto the field for his first varsity game.  We got to make a parent tunnel and cheer them on.  The lights went out in the stadium for awhile, there were tons of flags and just an all out long game.  It was moved to 8pm due to the heat and we left the stadium after 11pm with Chase in tow.  Chelsi and Jaemin fell asleep close to an hour before it was over.  Jaemin slept on me....HOT!  Chelsi slept on the bleacher on the blanket beside me.  That shower never felt so good.

Through all our tough times I hope for things to get better.  This is where the movie God's Not Dead is correct.  He is our hope.  The devil's advocate in the movie says we believe in God to make things better in bad situations.  But, the truth is that's when it's hardest, but that's what sometimes defines us and our real belief.  When you are going through hell and you still find the strength to believe in God, it does help you.  Free will will always exist.  Because of that sin will always exist.  We may not always understand why things are the way they are.  They don't seem right sometimes.  I try to believe and sometimes it's a struggle that there is some greater plan.  We just may not know or understand.....at the moment or ever.  I'm not the most devote to some by a long shot.  I'm not an avid church goer.  I don't profess my belief in God at every turn.  But, I'm not a closet Christian either.  I do believe.  My relationship with God is personal.  It's private.  I don't believe human man needs to be a part of it.  And I don't get all of my prayers answered and definitely not as quickly as I need or believe they should sometimes.  But I still try to believe that like my parents God only wants what's best for me and I can't know or understand that all of the time and that's where blind faith comes in.

Back to Kaelin and her birthday.  Some birthday pics and a pic from a couple of weeks ago of a 5K she did with her friends.  I was supposed to to, but I left to do mine at the track so I could watch Chase at football.  She decided she'd rather stay with her friends, so I let her enjoy!