Mar 15, 2008 - Family Update

Sorry we have been away from the Blog for a few weeks. Things have just gotten very busy here. I posted several posts below. We have had visitors again - which was wonderful. It is always so great to see family. Here is a quick update on our life.

Hunter - He continues to excel in school. He had made friends with two of the neighbor boys and loves to play with them outside. Their new, favorite game is to ring the doorbell and get the twins to open it and chase them around. Although loud and obnoxious - it is pretty fun to "Catch them in the act". Hunter finished Basketball the end of February, and he is going to begin Soccer on March 29th. It is really great to see him getting involved in sports.

Samantha - It is still all out singing, dancing, and being a princess. She is starting to leave the world of Disney Princesses and is liking Hannah Montana. I am not sure that I like this, as I love the all the "Little Girl" stuff. She is still dressing up regularly and singing and dancing all the time. Her latest accomplishment, and this is a big one, ----Drum Roll Please --She has given up the pacifier. It has been 2 weeks. And the transition was not as bad as we anticipated. Of course, it is taking a huge amount of encouragement and a reward awaits her after 30 days. She has a calendar that she gets to mark off each day and at the end of 30 days, she gets to go shopping at Claires and buy a Hannah Montana Wig and Microphone. It is so wonderful to see her without the "Boppy". She is being a great sport about it, but mentions daily how she is a big girl now and doesn't "get" to have her "boppy". She also is doing great in school. They are learing to tie their shoes, their last name, and their phone number. She has mastered the last name and the phone number. Next up is the shoe tying. But she told me and the teacher that she might not be able to learn how to tie her shoes, because she doesn't have any shoes that have laces. She is right. All her shoes are slip ons. Actually - all the kids have shoes that Velcro or slip on. Oops......might have to get some "real shoes".

Tucker - Tucker is doing much better in school in regards to behavior. We still have a couple of days during the week where he is getting warnings for hitting and kicking others. And still spending some time on the naughty chair. But comparing to January and early February where it was happening all the time, we are down to just a few times. He just has no patience for the others and when they can't understand him, or they get in his space, he acts out. We are working on it. It is time to begin thinkinging about Kindergarten transition for him. I will begin interviewing two of the Kindergarten public school classes after Spring Break. The Christian School has also let me know that they will do whatever they need to inorder to accomodate Tucker in the Kindergarten class. This makes me very happy, but I am aprehensive about it, as the academics and the pace they keep seem a bit much for him, so we are meeting on the 27th to discuss this in greater detail. I am thinking about holding him back and having him repeat another year of preschool. He knows all the things that are required to know to move to Kindergarten, but his fine motor skills are so delayed that he is not writing. He can write a T and a U in his name, but that is all, and that is done with LOTS of work. I will keep you posted.
I just find him amazing everyday and in so many ways by all he does and tries to do.

And, to Praise the Lord, as Sam says we should do - we had a huge scare with Tucker last week. At recess he was playing on the play structure. He decided to attempt to slide down the Fire Pole like the other kids. Which is a first, according to the teachers. He usually does not even try to play on the "Big" play structure. I received a call on Thursday, 3/6, from the school telling me Tucker fell off the top of the play structure, 4 ft high. The principle had him in the office, and he seemed to be okay. I was so scared, and I think I made it to the school in record time. Well, he was fine, luckly he landed on his behind. He was quite scared, the teacher was in tears, and everyone was so concerned. He on the other hand was perfectly fine, without a mark on him. So, Praise the Lord for this!!! He could have hit his head and broken one or more bones. As I said, he is amazing.

As for Brad and I we are settling in a little more each day. I am working in Hunter's class on Mondays, and attending a Bible Study on Wednesday. I really enjoy my Bible Study time, and am meeting a lot of new people. On the other days, I am staying busy with the kids and being a Mom. I am starting to "work" again a little bit with my former partner. A few opportunities have come my way, so, decided to take them on for now.

Brad is very, very busy to say to the least. He is still loving what he does, and I am continually amazed with his knowledge of digesters and how they work. He is a wonderful husband, father and provider. I admire his ability to shift to "Dad" the minute he walks in the door. He is looking foward to SPRING (w/o snow) so he can get outside and start working in the yard.

So, that is all for now, and I will try to be better about posting to the blog more often. Love to all our Family and Friends, and to all of you in WA we love and miss you all, still, daily.