Pajamas with Mom Party

I guess they've been doing this for a little bit.  I don't know if they did it when K was in kindergarten or not.  She never mentioned it.  Chelsi, however has been begging since she found out.  We went back to school last night and listened to the teacher read a book while we sat on a blanket in the gym, in our pajamas.  Then, we went into the cafeteria and Chelsi had some ice cream with chocolate syrup and sprinkles.  Then, we went back tot he gym and had blanket races.  I had to wrap Chelsi up in the blanket and drag her down the gym and back.  She was laughing so hard when we were done, I didn't think she'd quit.  She had so much fun.  She really is a fun girl.  She is literally friends with everyone.  All the boys AND girls come to talk to her and get her to sit with them.  And when it was all over we had moms coming up to meet the girl they hear about.  One boy's mom, in particular, came to tell Chelsi 'thank you' for helping her son to quit crying.  I thought there was only one boy that cried and she helped, but apparently there were 2!  She is quite the caring, sweet girl.  She kept fixing our blanket when we were sitting and her teacher came up and told me how organized she is.  She said her desk is immaculate and organized at all times.  She sweet, smart, beautiful and organized?  WOW!!

Here are the pictures from my little camera while we were at school, waiting to start.

Call me crazy

But, I'm behind Cole 100% on wrestling.  I did not go into this earlier.  I guess I was partially wanting to say if Cole stuck with it and partially because I wasn't sure what the docs would say.   Cole told us about a month ago he wanted to participate in wrestling.  I told him I didn't know if his PC (pediatric cardiologist) would allow it, but he looked at me and said 'push'.  This was our code.  I had promised if there was something he felt strong about I would push.  I called our family doc and they called the PC for us.  The nurse called back and said the PC's nurse said no....it's a contact sport.  I got her number and called myself.  I asked her to please check, personally, with the PC because we've told Cole no to everything for 14 years.  I guess after watching him suffer through the loss of playing football, just after he got the okay and seeing him socially struggle just hurt me too much for him.  I told her I needed him to be able to live. No one knows how long they have and I just wanted him to enjoy his life, whatever it may be.  She called back and said he said okay with strict instructions on weight lifting and no weight loss efforts to make weight (i.e. losing weight by sweat and water loss which could kill him because of his heart function).  So with that understanding and a very careful and important talk with Cole it was a go.  We turned in the papers he wrote up to the coach and Cole's been running 2 miles at practice and lifting some weights.  He's so tired, but seems so much happier.  And now when his grades slip a little he's more receptive to our nagging to get them back up or else.  He knows what the or else is.  I bought his wrestling shoes Thursday after work, so he's really ready to go now.  What possessed him to do this?  I have no idea. He has no friends participating, but I'm so happy for him to find something that makes him feel like he belongs and he's happy....genuinely happy.  We even had the talk to remind him that he should enjoy every single second.  If he has to have his surgery it could be over.  Enjoy every second as it happens in case it ends.  And maybe he'll get all 4 years of it.  Who knows.  Only God knows. 

Happy Halloween---2011

Have a spooky Halloween!

Pumpkins for the porch

After our interview (we did one for a local news broadcast this morning for a contest) the boys needed to get their pumpkins carved before they ran out of time. Last year I bought 5 little pumpkins and they were difficult to carve, to say the least. Those may be great for pies, but impossible to carve up. This year, we decided to forgo the headache and just get two bigger ones for the big boys to carve. The little kids always have so much Halloween stuff to do anyways.

Cole knew he wanted to do his gross pumpkin again, no matter what. Chase decided on a Bass Pro one. So, Chase drew up the fish as he always does so quickly. I carved it out for him, since he wasn't sure where to put the breaks. He attempted the words, I attempted the words and after we both failed we stuck the pumpkin back together and decided just to let the light shine through to the words. It still turned out good....I thought. After the boys went with Brian on a hayride we lit them up with a couple of lights and they looked GREAT! Wish I could have gone on the hayride, but the doctor doesn't want any excuses while I'm on steroids why my voice is still waivering. The littles and I watched a movie together, so it was all fine.

Here are the cool pics.

 

Ode to Chase's favorite store....Bass Pro

Sneak Peek Halloween 2011

It's Trunk or Treat time, so the littlest 3 and I headed out to a couple of churches for some free fun and candy.  One had a bounce house and fire trucks, so Jaemin was in Heaven and the girls wore themselves out in the bounce house.  It was a little too much for Jaemin who climbed out early.

Kaelin didn't want to go in the fire truck, so here's Jaemin and Chelsi.

You just have to laugh at her sometimes

Kaelin isn't a complicated girl.  That can be bad, that can be good, and that can definitely be funny!

I was cleaning downstairs because Brian's putting up a ceiling....finally.  Anyways, I saw a Leapster game under the desk and asked her to get it.  She picked it up and when I saw all the dust bunnies attached to it I told her to put the game away, but throw them down.  But, really it's HOW I asked her.  I said, 'oh, it has dirt, throw it down'.  Yep, she threw the game on the floor.  I guess she thought the dust would come off.  When she game the look I knew she was going to do it and Chase and I both busted out laughing.  It was so dang funny!

HIS bed

This is Jaemin's floor bed.  This is the ONLY way he'll even attempt to sleep in his room at night.  He has a big bed and toddler bed.  He prefers his toddler bed for nap, but the floor for night.  Then, of course, he migrates to my room if he wakes up.

Too cute, the little bed he makes for himself.