It's so amazing to see how much of a difference there is between first grade and second grade. I'm always so amazed when I see the writing of my children and see what their little minds have come up with. I laughed so hard one day when I was reading sentences that Ethan had to write in school. He got to make up the sentences using some of his spelling words. Here are a few of his sentences:
My dog is sad.
My desk is a mess.
My house has dust.
There were a lot more like this, but these are just a few. But basically, Ethan's sentences were all glimpses into his real life and not "made up" things at all. For example, I asked him about the dog being sad sentence. He said that Marley was really sad that morning when they went to school because she had to see them get out of the car because I was taking her to the vet. And when I asked him about the dust one, he said, "Well, our house DOES have dust!" Ha-ha! And of course Ethan's desk is a mess. Everything Ethan owns is a mess. :) What I think is funny is how Ethan only writes in non-fiction, just like he only likes to read non-fiction stuff.
And then I have Emily, the complete opposite of her brother. She loves to be creative and draw and write stories about make believe stuff, yet her room is almost always clean. If she is writing a story about something, you can almost always guarantee that it will be some type of fantasy and involve talking animals. In fact, just this evening she was upset because Ethan never wants to play with her with her toys and he is always just wanting to build with his Legos or she plays with him with his toys. She just kept whining and whining and whining about it. I did something tonight that I am not proud of, but was kind of necessary. I paid Ethan off. I paid him to go and play with his sister. Not only did he have to go and play with her in her room and with her animal toys, that also had to include the animal sounds and pretend voices that went with it. And the deal was that Ethan was NOT allowed to tell Emily that I was paying him either or the deal was OFF! :)
Emily went on a field trip last week at school and she had such a wonderful time. She went to Dr. Dykes vet office. It also happens to be the vet that we use so she is used to going there when we take our pets. Although she was very sad that I could not be there, she was very excited to tell me all about the trip. She got to see a baby kangaroo, and lots of other animals. She also told me all about the operating room where they do their surgeries. She told me about this table that has holes in it so if an animal is bleeding, the blood can just drain through the holes. My child is just so practical at times and is fascinated by the oddest things.
Friday night Emily went to a slumber party. It was the party of one of her best friends, Molly. This is going to be one of those times when I need to take a moment to acknowledge somebody else in my blog and that would be Molly. You see, I have to say that overall, I am so proud of both of my kids and who they have always chosen to be friends with, but let me just tell you how special Molly is and how much I adore this sweet child. Emily has known her since kindergarten and been in a class with her since 1st grade. I always knew that Emily and Molly were two of the little blond foursome that were best friends, but it was when her first grade teacher and I were talking one day toward the end of the school year last year and discussing teacher assignments for the next school year that I really understood how important Molly was to Emily. I found out what a little mother hen Molly was to Emily throughout the school year. And I don't mean that in a bad way, but strictly in a caring and compassionate way. If Emily was hurting, Molly was the one to check on her and make sure she was okay.
We were lucky enough to have Molly and Emily in class together again this year. And on Friday, the day of Molly's slumber party, Emily had a really bad day in school with several headaches. She was pretty bad off and even fell asleep in the corner of the classroom for a while. When she got home, I was concerned about her going to the party and she said, "Molly told me that if I get a headache then she will make sure and find me a very quiet place where I can lay down." My heart just about melted for the sweet compassion of this seven year old friend. Well, Emily did end up going and luckily she didn't have anymore headaches. However, when I picked her up the next morning, Molly's mom told me that while everybody was dancing around in the middle of the floor, Emily tripped and fell. Molly jumped up and yelled for everybody to STOP!!! Then she went over and asked Emily if she hit her head on anything and made sure she was okay before anybody continued to dance around. Emily assured her that she was fine and she got back up and the party continued. Again, I have to say that I seriously LOVE this child and don't think that I could ask for a better friend for Emily.
Before I close, I need to give an update on my dad. Today was supposed to be the final date of his surgery that had been postponed several times. It ended up being cancelled altogether, though, in light of new information. Dad is now being seen by a new group in Mobile at a cancer institute. Before they saw my dad, they required more testing as well as went over all of the previous test results. Unfortunately, some suspicious spots were found in Dad's brain. They cannot confirm that these spots are cancer, but they need to have further testing done on them. The new doctors have said that surgery is just not an option anymore for this type of cancer. You can't treat just the one area. You have to treat the entire disease. That means with some type of drug therapy like chemo. They are looking at trying to get Dad into a clinical trial in New Orleans, but this can't take place until the spots in his brain are dealt with. Dad will have more extensive testing done later this week and will consult with more neurosurgeons. Again, I am asking for prayers for Dad as well as all of us.
Ethan and Emily go over and see their papa as much as they can and it is just like it has always been. However, with Emily, she is really being affected by his illness now. One night she started talking to me about heaven and about how beautiful it is and how happy Jesus is to see you when you get there and how you get to see the people and animals that died before you. She had honestly painted such a beautiful picture of everything that it was so hard to be sad about such a difficult topic. Another day she told me that while she was at school she prayed for Papa to get through all of this. And then she got really quiet and said, "I prayed for him while I was in the bathroom. Is that okay?" I just smiled and said that of course it is okay. I told her that that is probably one of the quietest places you are and so it makes a good place to pray. She just smiled.
So, if any of you have it in you, and happen to find yourself in a quiet place like the bathroom...could you please say a little prayer for my dad?
Monday, August 30, 2010
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Week One
The first week of school is over, and it was successful! The kids are so happy to be back in school and just jumped right back into the routine as if they never left it. They come home from school so excited about their day and can't wait to tell me what they learned. Ethan is even reading so much more than he was before. Ethan told me that he wishes that the school year went from January through December with only a Christmas break and a Spring Break. Let's give him a few years and see if he still feels that way. Ha-ha!
It is quite obvious that both of the kids got teachers that fit their personalities perfectly. Ethan's teacher is doing a great job in keeping him motivated. I can tell that their work is mostly review stuff right now, and I can't wait until he starts getting stuff that challenges him more and makes him think. Emily ADORES her teacher. They have been doing some fun science stuff in class this week and they are taking a field trip to a vet's office next week. Emily comes home every night and tells me stories about her class. The funny thing, though, is that most of her stories are about how she was hanging out with her teacher and they were joking around, or how she went over to hang out with her teacher from last year (which she also LOVED!) and she got to be a helper in her class. The girl cracks me up. It's almost like school is just a social outlet to her, and her best friends are all of the adults in the building.
Both of the kids are having a blast in Extended Day, the after school child care program. I really am glad that they are in that. They get to do things like go to the computer lab, play in the gym, play on the playground, play board games, etc. And they are also given a snack. The kids are really getting to do way more in Extended Day than if they came straight home after school. It's nice to know that when I pick them up each afternoon, they are happy and having fun. We are all so happy that school is back in session!
Now for the update that I wish that I didn't have to give. We got the results back on my dad's most recent biopsy. This was the final one they did in preparation for his upcoming surgery scheduled for this coming Friday. The biopsy results have confirmed the cancer and we finally have a diagnosis as to what kind. MELANOMA! I wasn't expecting that, although I knew that it was a possibility considering that Dad has had several spots of Melanoma cut off of his skin. I guess I was more expecting this cancer to be the renal cell cancer that had returned from when his kidney was removed back in 1997. The only thing that I can say that is good is that we finally have an answer. However, Melanoma is not good news. Being that it is already into his organs, it is considered Stage IV. In the past, treatment options for Melanoma have not been very successful, but according to the doctor, there is a new cancer clinic in Mobile with an Oncologist that actually specializes in Melanoma. He is getting Dad an appointment right away. He said that there are some new treatments available now, but I don't have details or statistics on them. And time is still of the essence and his surgery is still scheduled for Friday. I'm torn up about this and don't know what to think. All I can say is that right now we need prayers for strength, prayers for healing for my dad, and prayers for guidance for the doctors.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Back to School
I can't believe that summer is over! And boy are we happy about it in the Ebbert household! Ethan and Emily have been so ready to be back in school and so have I. Ethan still loves to hole himself up in his room and just play Legos. Emily has spent the recent weeks being the little helper around the house or going to Nana and Papa's. With a little encouragement from me, the kids and their Daddy started having Monopoly challenges during the day and Ethan and Emily really loved that! And the kids have gotten into playing other board games as well. One day when they were playing the game of Life, Emily said, "I'm going to let Ethan be the banker because he is the smartest person in the house." At the time she said this, we were really at a crossroads on what to do about school this year and whether or not we were going to keep them separated or put them in the same class. There were some changes that had taken place over the summer with teacher changes and Emily's teacher that she was going to have had moved to a different school. Well, considering her horrible year last year with headaches, I was panicking about what to do. I just didn't want to risk having her in a class with just anybody, especially with me working now and not being as easily accessible. I was considering putting them together. However, when Emily made that comment about Ethan being the "smartest person in the house", I was instantly reminded why we separated our kids from the very beginning after Kindergarten. Our kids are not dependant on each other, but they do COMPETE with each other. I did not want either one of them to start having self-esteem issues again. We have tried really hard to make them realize that they each have their own strengths. Emily is a reading and language arts genius and Ethan is our math and science whiz. As it turns out, I am actually very happy now with Emily's new teacher. I had received a call from her first grade teacher informing me of the change and she assured me that the new teacher would be a good fit for Emily and be wonderful in dealing with her issues. I didn't totally rest easy, though, until I met her myself. The moment we sat down and started talking about Emily's issues, she instantly told me that she would just put my cell number in her phone and would text me when Emily is having a problem. Phew! And I think that Ethan's teacher is going to be great. We just got to meet her for the first time last night. This is the teacher that was recommended from his first grade teacher. According to her, she felt like this teacher would be perfect for him because she really pushes her kids and can push Ethan to reach his full potential. When I had mentioned this teacher to another one of my teacher friends, her comment was "she is great for those little Sheldon's". Ha-ha! And yes, we are referring to the character Sheldon from the Big Bang Theory tv show. That is our little nickname for Ethan. When Ethan met his teacher last night and she told him that she likes to do a lot of science, he exclaimed "YES!!!!!" And just so everybody knows, I did ask the kids about being together this year or being separated, and they both said that they DID NOT want to be together.
So, Monday is the first day of school. We have everything ready. The supply fees have been paid. Their uniforms are washed and ready. And this year the kids will be doing something brand new. They will be attending After School Care every afternoon. Since I'm working now, and hopefully Rob will be soon, we just had to make arrangements for care for them now. This year the school received a grant for their ASCC program and they will offer music, art, and even tae kwon do. The kids are actually pretty excited about going. It's nice to know that I don't have to worry about them and they will have a chance to get their homework done there before they even come home!
My job is going okay. I've been there a month now, although it feels like a year. Ha-ha! I've gotten into a routine and so that is good. After all of my training was over and I was actually working on my own, I had only been there three days before they had offered me a full time position. I was hired in as part-time and was told that full time positions are few and far between in the bank. So, when they offered me the full time position, I jumped on it and accepted. That day, I came home from work and broke the news to the kids. I had warned Rob on my way home. Emily had still been really struggling with me working anyway, and so I knew the news would be hard to take. I came home that day and was in a good mood and said, "Guess what? I have good news!!" Emily said, "What? You don't have to work until 5:00 anymore?" In my mind, I thought...Oh shoot, this isn't going to go well. I then said with enthusiasm, "No, they offered me a full time job and I accepted." Emily made a scowling look on her face and replied, "How is THAT good news?!?!?!" The bright side now is that she has adjusted. A month has gone by and she is no longer crying when I leave. She tells me all the time how much she misses me during the day, and I know that she does, but once school starts then she will be so much happier.
I also wanted to give an update on my dad. He is needing prayers right now more than ever. He has had a really difficult time this summer with his health. He was having that heart flutter and had to have his heart shocked back into rhythm. He suffered from that horrible allergic skin reaction that made him miserable and he's just now feeling normal again from that. He finished his radiation treatments for his cancer and he had his follow-up CT scan just last week. The news was not what we had hoped for. The mass in his lung did not shrink at all from the radiation like they had hoped. In fact, it had grown some. The doctors have said that time is of the essence right now and that the mass MUST come out, and soon. It is starting to wrap around his airway. The mass is about the size of your fist and is sitting in his lung almost against his heart. The plan is to go in and remove the mass and part of his lung. That is if it all goes well. If it doesn't go well then they will have to remove the entire lung. The recovery will be very long and very painful. The surgery was originally planned for next week (Aug 18). Dad went yesterday to do some preliminary testing and he found out that he isn't stable enough for surgery right now. The surgery has been postponed until Aug 27 to get everything stabilized. We really need all of the prayers that we can get.
I know that I have gone a long time between updates, but I will be updating again soon since we have the first day of school next week as well as Dad's surgery coming up.
So, Monday is the first day of school. We have everything ready. The supply fees have been paid. Their uniforms are washed and ready. And this year the kids will be doing something brand new. They will be attending After School Care every afternoon. Since I'm working now, and hopefully Rob will be soon, we just had to make arrangements for care for them now. This year the school received a grant for their ASCC program and they will offer music, art, and even tae kwon do. The kids are actually pretty excited about going. It's nice to know that I don't have to worry about them and they will have a chance to get their homework done there before they even come home!
My job is going okay. I've been there a month now, although it feels like a year. Ha-ha! I've gotten into a routine and so that is good. After all of my training was over and I was actually working on my own, I had only been there three days before they had offered me a full time position. I was hired in as part-time and was told that full time positions are few and far between in the bank. So, when they offered me the full time position, I jumped on it and accepted. That day, I came home from work and broke the news to the kids. I had warned Rob on my way home. Emily had still been really struggling with me working anyway, and so I knew the news would be hard to take. I came home that day and was in a good mood and said, "Guess what? I have good news!!" Emily said, "What? You don't have to work until 5:00 anymore?" In my mind, I thought...Oh shoot, this isn't going to go well. I then said with enthusiasm, "No, they offered me a full time job and I accepted." Emily made a scowling look on her face and replied, "How is THAT good news?!?!?!" The bright side now is that she has adjusted. A month has gone by and she is no longer crying when I leave. She tells me all the time how much she misses me during the day, and I know that she does, but once school starts then she will be so much happier.
I also wanted to give an update on my dad. He is needing prayers right now more than ever. He has had a really difficult time this summer with his health. He was having that heart flutter and had to have his heart shocked back into rhythm. He suffered from that horrible allergic skin reaction that made him miserable and he's just now feeling normal again from that. He finished his radiation treatments for his cancer and he had his follow-up CT scan just last week. The news was not what we had hoped for. The mass in his lung did not shrink at all from the radiation like they had hoped. In fact, it had grown some. The doctors have said that time is of the essence right now and that the mass MUST come out, and soon. It is starting to wrap around his airway. The mass is about the size of your fist and is sitting in his lung almost against his heart. The plan is to go in and remove the mass and part of his lung. That is if it all goes well. If it doesn't go well then they will have to remove the entire lung. The recovery will be very long and very painful. The surgery was originally planned for next week (Aug 18). Dad went yesterday to do some preliminary testing and he found out that he isn't stable enough for surgery right now. The surgery has been postponed until Aug 27 to get everything stabilized. We really need all of the prayers that we can get.
I know that I have gone a long time between updates, but I will be updating again soon since we have the first day of school next week as well as Dad's surgery coming up.
Monday, July 19, 2010
One Week Down
It has been a week since I started my new job, and we've already gotten into quite a routine. Emily had a rough first few days, but she soon learned that it wasn't as bad as she thought that it would be and she started coping with it. At first, though, she started telling me that she wasn't coming home. She spent every night at her Nana and Papa's house because she said that she didn't think she could stand to see me leave for work in the morning. I indulged her drama for the time being only because her cousin, Chase, was still in town and they were all three going to stay over there, but I told her that she better start dealing with it because it was just the way it was and that she WAS coming home! I think she found out that she actually handled it better when she was at home and saw me in the morning before work. She is THE most stubborn person. I know, I know, those of you (especially family members who know me the most) will say that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Ha-ha! I know it...and I will admit it!
We did, however, receive the most special little gift in the mail the other day and I only wish I knew who to thank. In the middle of the week, we received this Fedex box with a bright yellow box with smiley faces all over it. It was addressed to Emily and myself. Inside were wonderful smiley face sugar cookies! It was the most special gift to brighten our day...heck, our week! So, whoever sent it, THANK YOU!
My job is going well. All I'm doing right now is lots and lots of computer training. I never realized before how federally regulated the banks are!!! It's a lot of stuff to learn. I have one more day of computer courses until I can start what they call my "mentor training".
Ethan and Emily are in tennis lessons again. They are enjoying it and doing well. I'm so impressed with how much they have learned since they first started taking lessons a year ago. I hope they decide to keep it up.
Yesterday I decided to deem it "Family Day" in our house. I realized lately that Ethan has been going off by himself and just spending a lot of time in his room either playing Legos, playing video games, or watching tv. It has been bothering me that he has been spending so much time by himself. So, on Saturday night while he was watching Harry Potter, I snuggled with him and told him that on Sunday, he wasn't going to play any video games or watch tv, but that we were going to have a total family day together. At first he looked at me with these huge eyes like he wasn't sure he liked that, but then yesterday he told me that he had the best day ever. After going to church, all four of us played basketball, we played frisbee, we played some checkers, the kids ran around and played some of their own made up games, it was just an awesome day. And the best part was that not a single video game was played!!!! I am going to designate at least one weekend day like that.
It's a new week. Let's hope that this week goes well!
We did, however, receive the most special little gift in the mail the other day and I only wish I knew who to thank. In the middle of the week, we received this Fedex box with a bright yellow box with smiley faces all over it. It was addressed to Emily and myself. Inside were wonderful smiley face sugar cookies! It was the most special gift to brighten our day...heck, our week! So, whoever sent it, THANK YOU!
My job is going well. All I'm doing right now is lots and lots of computer training. I never realized before how federally regulated the banks are!!! It's a lot of stuff to learn. I have one more day of computer courses until I can start what they call my "mentor training".
Ethan and Emily are in tennis lessons again. They are enjoying it and doing well. I'm so impressed with how much they have learned since they first started taking lessons a year ago. I hope they decide to keep it up.
Yesterday I decided to deem it "Family Day" in our house. I realized lately that Ethan has been going off by himself and just spending a lot of time in his room either playing Legos, playing video games, or watching tv. It has been bothering me that he has been spending so much time by himself. So, on Saturday night while he was watching Harry Potter, I snuggled with him and told him that on Sunday, he wasn't going to play any video games or watch tv, but that we were going to have a total family day together. At first he looked at me with these huge eyes like he wasn't sure he liked that, but then yesterday he told me that he had the best day ever. After going to church, all four of us played basketball, we played frisbee, we played some checkers, the kids ran around and played some of their own made up games, it was just an awesome day. And the best part was that not a single video game was played!!!! I am going to designate at least one weekend day like that.
It's a new week. Let's hope that this week goes well!
Monday, July 12, 2010
A new chapter...
Today started a new chapter in our lives. I started my new job. After 8 years spending my every waking hour to care for the total needs of my children, I have decided that it is not only time for me to go back to work, but it is necessary. Eight years ago, in August 2002, I was put on bed rest when I was pregnant with Ethan and Emily. From that point on, everything I have done in my life has been for my children.
When Rob got laid off of work again and we both started looking for jobs, the idea of going back to work was so exciting for me. The reality of the situation was that I NEEDED to find a job, but I soon realized that I also WANTED to find a job. I was thrilled at the idea of feeling fulfilled again in the workplace and when I was hired... well, I really felt great!
I set out and started preparing for my first day. I got some new clothes. Took care of some last minute things that needed to get done around the house and I was ready to go. There was just one tiny little problem, and she is just a little over 3 1/2 feet tall. She has blond hair, blue eyes, and she is terribly upset by this new chain of events. She answers to the name of Emily.
She had been getting more and more frantic as we had been counting down the days until today, but last night was the moment that I don't think I could have prepared myself for even if I had tried. We had already made arrangements for the kids to spend the night at Nana and Papa's house because we thought that it would be easier for them to not see me leave early this morning since I had to work in Downtown Mobile today. Emily had a massive break down last night and she sat in my lap and sobbed on my shoulder and snotted on my shirt for well over an hour. It was the most heartbreaking thing that I have ever experienced in my life. The way she acted was as if I was leaving her for good and moving away. There really was no consoling her. And there really are no words to describe how much my heart was aching for her and how much I wanted to take away her pain.
I left her at my parents' house as she was crying in my mom's lap. My mood for the rest of the night was the most melancholy I have ever felt in my life. In fact, I ended up just needing time to be alone. I could no longer feel the excitement that I had been feeling to start my new job. My mood just wouldn't allow it. I started to feel this overwhelming guilt despite the fact that I knew that the kids would be okay. I ended up locking myself into the bathroom and just crying. And I...DON'T...DO...THAT! EVER!!! I never allow myself to have pity parties. It's not in my nature. But I had one last night. I was suddenly filled with flashbacks of when the kids were infants and I was trying to teach Emily to crawl. How hard I worked with her every single day just to do the most basic things that babies do on their own. I remembered how I sat day after day and watched those videos on learning the baby sign language just so I could teach it to Ethan because he had speech apraxia and couldn't even babble like a normal baby, let alone say a word. I remembered all of the times that I sat with the kids through weeks and weeks of Kindermusik classes for several years in a row and our therapists would meet us to do their therapies there. I just sat there and balled my eyes out as all of these years of memories of being a stay at home mom with my kids and actually BEING THERE for them as I have helped them navigate their way through some of the toughest obstacles of their little lives. I know that in the grand scheme of things, I am doing something that is right for me and for all of us in the long run, but it is just hard taking that step.
So, last night as the tears flowed, I closed that final chapter in my life and in my children's lives. Today I woke up and we started the new one. Guess what??? We all survived! We will get through this adjustment period and everything will work out. As far as my new job...it was a first day. That is all I'm going to say right now. Ha-ha!
When Rob got laid off of work again and we both started looking for jobs, the idea of going back to work was so exciting for me. The reality of the situation was that I NEEDED to find a job, but I soon realized that I also WANTED to find a job. I was thrilled at the idea of feeling fulfilled again in the workplace and when I was hired... well, I really felt great!
I set out and started preparing for my first day. I got some new clothes. Took care of some last minute things that needed to get done around the house and I was ready to go. There was just one tiny little problem, and she is just a little over 3 1/2 feet tall. She has blond hair, blue eyes, and she is terribly upset by this new chain of events. She answers to the name of Emily.
She had been getting more and more frantic as we had been counting down the days until today, but last night was the moment that I don't think I could have prepared myself for even if I had tried. We had already made arrangements for the kids to spend the night at Nana and Papa's house because we thought that it would be easier for them to not see me leave early this morning since I had to work in Downtown Mobile today. Emily had a massive break down last night and she sat in my lap and sobbed on my shoulder and snotted on my shirt for well over an hour. It was the most heartbreaking thing that I have ever experienced in my life. The way she acted was as if I was leaving her for good and moving away. There really was no consoling her. And there really are no words to describe how much my heart was aching for her and how much I wanted to take away her pain.
I left her at my parents' house as she was crying in my mom's lap. My mood for the rest of the night was the most melancholy I have ever felt in my life. In fact, I ended up just needing time to be alone. I could no longer feel the excitement that I had been feeling to start my new job. My mood just wouldn't allow it. I started to feel this overwhelming guilt despite the fact that I knew that the kids would be okay. I ended up locking myself into the bathroom and just crying. And I...DON'T...DO...THAT! EVER!!! I never allow myself to have pity parties. It's not in my nature. But I had one last night. I was suddenly filled with flashbacks of when the kids were infants and I was trying to teach Emily to crawl. How hard I worked with her every single day just to do the most basic things that babies do on their own. I remembered how I sat day after day and watched those videos on learning the baby sign language just so I could teach it to Ethan because he had speech apraxia and couldn't even babble like a normal baby, let alone say a word. I remembered all of the times that I sat with the kids through weeks and weeks of Kindermusik classes for several years in a row and our therapists would meet us to do their therapies there. I just sat there and balled my eyes out as all of these years of memories of being a stay at home mom with my kids and actually BEING THERE for them as I have helped them navigate their way through some of the toughest obstacles of their little lives. I know that in the grand scheme of things, I am doing something that is right for me and for all of us in the long run, but it is just hard taking that step.
So, last night as the tears flowed, I closed that final chapter in my life and in my children's lives. Today I woke up and we started the new one. Guess what??? We all survived! We will get through this adjustment period and everything will work out. As far as my new job...it was a first day. That is all I'm going to say right now. Ha-ha!
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Summer Update!
So much has happened in the past month that I don't even know where to start. Ethan and Emily had their swimming lessons. Wow! What an experience that was. Emily HATED going. And I do not use the word "hate" lightly. She cried every single morning and even came up with every single ailment you could imagine as to why she couldn't participate in lessons. It was really sad and pitiful, but I knew that she needed the lessons and I knew that it was for her own good. I had a very long talk with her and explained that I wouldn't be doing her any good or doing my job as a parent if I didn't make sure that she learned how to swim. It was about safety, not about having fun. Ethan actually LOVED going and never wanted to get out of the pool when the lessons were over. Thankfully that was the case because I don't think I could have handled two of them being like Emily.
By the end of the second week, Emily was jumping off of the side of the pool into the deep end and swimming to the ladder all by herself. It was not an easy task for her, but she did it. I was very proud of her and she was proud of herself, but she obviously still had way more difficulty swimming than Ethan. I don't know if it is because of the spasticity of her muscles due to her CP or something else, but she is really stiff in the water and she has to work much harder to swim and to kick than Ethan does. I really noticed how much harder it is for her when I took her to the pool myself and worked with her on a kick board and it is like she has no core muscles in her body to hold her legs up and kick and she is just so stiff. However, she still managed to make it to the side of the pool. The best thing that came out of swimming lessons is her newfound confidence. Even though I still have to use some kind of floatie or life jacket, I no longer have to get in the water with her. She is comfortable enough now to be on her own. This is HUGE!!! Now, Ethan is doing awesome! I am am just so proud of him. He can swim now on his own and loves doing it. He has become a little fish now.
Those swimming lessons really came in handy when our cousins came in for a visit. The Cullens (from Colorado) came down as well as Aunt Debbie, Kaz and Chase. Wow! What a great time we had! We spent a few days at the Grand Hotel and really enjoyed ourselves, too. Ethan and Emily love having cousins here and they look forward to seeing them each year. And I certainly enjoyed spending that quality time with my family that I just don't get to see often enough.
Regarding my dad, things have been pretty tough lately. It is almost too complicated to post about, but I'll try. He spent Father's Day in the hospital because his heart started doing crazy things. His pulse was extremely elevated, but his blood pressure was low. Not a good mix. He spent five days in the hospital while they tried to get everything under control. Dad was put on several different kinds of blood thinners and many of his medications were changed. For obvious reasons (since he was in the hospital), his radiation had to be stopped for a little while. Well, then he started to develop this weird rash on top of everything else. It started out as just a couple small itchy patches on his back. Within a few days, the rash overtook his entire body. He was out of the hospital by then, but his heart was still not doing well. Dad's stamina has been very low and he sleeps a lot, too. Now, he stays in constant discomfort because of this full body rash that they are assuming is an allergic reaction to one of the medications they changed. His heart is still flip flopping all over the place, and he has been on high doses of steroids to combat the rash now, too. In a nutshell, Dad is not well. So what started out as just a lung mass has no progressed to the lung mass/cancer, now heart problems that aren't seeming to improve, and skin problems that are close to being considered torturous. I probably shouldn't even have to mention this part, but his mood reflects all that is going on with his body. And why wouldn't it?!?! So right now if anybody out there is of the praying sort, Dad needs them... and so does Mom!
On a very positive note, I have some good news to report. I found a job!!!!! After months and months of sending out resumes, I finally found a one. It is still sinking in actually, but I am just so excited! I will be working at a bank. And it happens to be at a branch in our town, too, so it is perfect! I love the fact that I got a job that will allow me to still have decent hours and be there for the kids and their schedule. It is going to feel so good getting back into the work force again after all of these years. I start my new job on Monday. Unfortunately tonight, Emily cried herself to sleep. She is NOT taking the news very well. I tried very hard to explain how excited I am and how it is a good thing for me and for our family, but it was all falling on deaf ears. Of course, I do understand her worries and fears and I am sympathetic towards it. I tried to compare it to her as starting the first week of school, how it is for her when she walks into a new class with a new teacher each year and she wonders how things are going to be. But before she knows it, she is in a routine, has made friends, and even finds out that she likes her teacher and likes school. I told her that once we get through the first couple of weeks of my new job, we will start to be in a routine and we will realize that things really will be okay and things will actually be better for us because I will be doing something to make our family be in a better place. Then she asked, "Do you think you will ever get laid off?" Now, why should a 7 year old ever have to worry about something like that?!?! But that is the reality of our economy and situation right now. I told her that I sure hope not, but nobody ever knows that. So, right now I have one very sad little girl on my hands. Ethan seemed to be sad, too, but he holds his feelings in. As long as he has legos and food in his life, then he is generally happy.
Please pray that Monday goes well not just for me, but for my children who have had my undivided attention for their entire lives. This is a HUGE transition.
By the end of the second week, Emily was jumping off of the side of the pool into the deep end and swimming to the ladder all by herself. It was not an easy task for her, but she did it. I was very proud of her and she was proud of herself, but she obviously still had way more difficulty swimming than Ethan. I don't know if it is because of the spasticity of her muscles due to her CP or something else, but she is really stiff in the water and she has to work much harder to swim and to kick than Ethan does. I really noticed how much harder it is for her when I took her to the pool myself and worked with her on a kick board and it is like she has no core muscles in her body to hold her legs up and kick and she is just so stiff. However, she still managed to make it to the side of the pool. The best thing that came out of swimming lessons is her newfound confidence. Even though I still have to use some kind of floatie or life jacket, I no longer have to get in the water with her. She is comfortable enough now to be on her own. This is HUGE!!! Now, Ethan is doing awesome! I am am just so proud of him. He can swim now on his own and loves doing it. He has become a little fish now.
Those swimming lessons really came in handy when our cousins came in for a visit. The Cullens (from Colorado) came down as well as Aunt Debbie, Kaz and Chase. Wow! What a great time we had! We spent a few days at the Grand Hotel and really enjoyed ourselves, too. Ethan and Emily love having cousins here and they look forward to seeing them each year. And I certainly enjoyed spending that quality time with my family that I just don't get to see often enough.
Regarding my dad, things have been pretty tough lately. It is almost too complicated to post about, but I'll try. He spent Father's Day in the hospital because his heart started doing crazy things. His pulse was extremely elevated, but his blood pressure was low. Not a good mix. He spent five days in the hospital while they tried to get everything under control. Dad was put on several different kinds of blood thinners and many of his medications were changed. For obvious reasons (since he was in the hospital), his radiation had to be stopped for a little while. Well, then he started to develop this weird rash on top of everything else. It started out as just a couple small itchy patches on his back. Within a few days, the rash overtook his entire body. He was out of the hospital by then, but his heart was still not doing well. Dad's stamina has been very low and he sleeps a lot, too. Now, he stays in constant discomfort because of this full body rash that they are assuming is an allergic reaction to one of the medications they changed. His heart is still flip flopping all over the place, and he has been on high doses of steroids to combat the rash now, too. In a nutshell, Dad is not well. So what started out as just a lung mass has no progressed to the lung mass/cancer, now heart problems that aren't seeming to improve, and skin problems that are close to being considered torturous. I probably shouldn't even have to mention this part, but his mood reflects all that is going on with his body. And why wouldn't it?!?! So right now if anybody out there is of the praying sort, Dad needs them... and so does Mom!
On a very positive note, I have some good news to report. I found a job!!!!! After months and months of sending out resumes, I finally found a one. It is still sinking in actually, but I am just so excited! I will be working at a bank. And it happens to be at a branch in our town, too, so it is perfect! I love the fact that I got a job that will allow me to still have decent hours and be there for the kids and their schedule. It is going to feel so good getting back into the work force again after all of these years. I start my new job on Monday. Unfortunately tonight, Emily cried herself to sleep. She is NOT taking the news very well. I tried very hard to explain how excited I am and how it is a good thing for me and for our family, but it was all falling on deaf ears. Of course, I do understand her worries and fears and I am sympathetic towards it. I tried to compare it to her as starting the first week of school, how it is for her when she walks into a new class with a new teacher each year and she wonders how things are going to be. But before she knows it, she is in a routine, has made friends, and even finds out that she likes her teacher and likes school. I told her that once we get through the first couple of weeks of my new job, we will start to be in a routine and we will realize that things really will be okay and things will actually be better for us because I will be doing something to make our family be in a better place. Then she asked, "Do you think you will ever get laid off?" Now, why should a 7 year old ever have to worry about something like that?!?! But that is the reality of our economy and situation right now. I told her that I sure hope not, but nobody ever knows that. So, right now I have one very sad little girl on my hands. Ethan seemed to be sad, too, but he holds his feelings in. As long as he has legos and food in his life, then he is generally happy.
Please pray that Monday goes well not just for me, but for my children who have had my undivided attention for their entire lives. This is a HUGE transition.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Summertime!!!!
I can't believe summer is here. Well, not officially, of course, but according to the school calendar it is here in full force! Ethan actually had to miss the last day of school. It was almost a dejavu of last year. The week prior he had started having some coughing and asthma issues, but no other symptoms. Things just never really got better. And then the night before the last day of school, Ethan started running a fever of 103 and coughing. I was worried that things had progressed into pneumonia by that point, but his oxygen levels were still good. Regardless, he was not going to school on the last day. He was devastated! He ended up writing a note to his teacher that I took to the school and delivered to her. It said something like "Dear Ms. L, I am going to miss you. I hope you have a good summer. I had fun in your class this year." And he signed it by drawing a heart and then signing his name. When I gave it to his teacher, she almost started crying. And then I almost started crying because I knew how much Ethan was wanting to be there on the last day of school. It was tough! When I took him to the doctor that day, the pediatrician went ahead and treated him for pneumonia because of his symptoms. He said there wasn't really a need to do the chest x-ray because he was going to treat him the same way no matter what. Plus, we were supposed to be leaving for camp in just a few days and we really needed Ethan to get well. Ethan was put on Prednisone plus a heavy duty antibiotic. Luckily, the meds did the trick and by the time we left for camp, his coughing was better and he was feeling like Superman because of the steroids.
We ended up having a wonderful time at Magic Moments Family Camp despite a few rain showers here and there. Ethan and Rob went tubing. Emily swam in the lake and played in the sand while they were tubing. The kids loved swimming in the pool. We played in the most awesome pirate tree house ever! We went boat riding. There were fun carnival games where the kids won little prizes. We had quite a competitive round of bingo. They did some arts and crafts. We rocked out and got our groove on during the evening dance. The parents got to enjoy a quiet meal without the kids during Parents Night Out / Kids Night Out. We had an amazing fireworks show! And some of the best times were when we weren't really doing much of anything at all except catching lightening bugs in the evening or eating Pop Rocks on the deck of our cabin. We are so blessed to be able to go to such an amazing camp each year. Magic Moments is truly one of the best children's charities that I've ever seen. Ethan and Emily feel like they keep getting wishes each and every year because of this wonderful camp. For those of you that may not know, Magic Moments hosts a camp each year for the wish children and their families. It is held at Children's Harbor on Lake Martin. Once you've been granted a wish, you are eligible to go to this camp each year until you turn 18. We still have many years left. And the one thing that amazes me about Ethan and Emily is that they are totally blind to children's disabilities that attend this camp. No matter the severity of the other children's issues, it made no difference to my kids. They were all just kids in their eyes! And that's the way it should be! In fact, Emily played in the sand with a little girl who had Spina Bifida and the little girl could only communicate by sign language. Even though Emily couldn't sign with her, they still managed to play together and have fun. But ever since we got home, Emily has been determined to learn to sign. She knows that they used to sign when they were infants and toddlers, but she doesn't remember the signs. She pulled out the signing DVDs I had and she has been watching them and teaching herself to sign. I also pulled out an old sign language book that I had from when I was little and gave it to her.
Also, now that school is out, I have signed the kids up for swimming lessons. They desperately need them. Their P.E. coach from school teaches the lessons and I am praying that they work for the kids. Emily is scared to death about it, too, because I won't be staying for the lesson. Ethan is more excited because he really WANTS to learn to swim. I'm hoping that these are successful because they will end just before our cousins from Colorado come for a visit. I know that we'll be swimming while they are here.
Since the kids have been out of school, they have been doing a lot of reading. Emily was reading a book that was 282 pages. She can't wait until the school library opens next week so she can go in and test on it. They can test on books all summer and they will count towards next year's AR points. I was telling Emily about some of the Beverly Cleary books. I thought that she would really enjoy reading some of those. So we went to the public library yesterday and she got two of the Ramona books. While we were there, Ethan spotted the Harry Potter books. He is such a huge HP fan and really wanted to check out one of the books. I told him he could, but I showed him how thick they were. I just didn't want him to get discouraged. It has only been very recently that he has even gotten into reading. I'd hate for him to give up on it because he got something too hard. I told him to take the book and sit down on one of the couches and read the first two pages for me. I just wanted to make sure that he didn't have any problems with the words, punctuation, comprehension, etc. He sat down and within just a minute or two he was done and said that he wanted to check it out. Well, that was yesterday, and Ethan is already on page 32 of the Harry Potter book! He got the second book in the series because the first one was checked out. He has seen all of the movies so he isn't missing the plot. He has spent so much of the day just reading. He LOVES this book. So, I sat him down this afternoon and worked out a plan with him. I first asked him how it was going and if he was having any trouble at all with any part of the book. He said he wasn't. I told him that when you read really big books like this, you have to do it in baby steps. I told him that if he can read an average of just 10 pages per day, then he can finish the book in just 34 days. I said that that would be a very good goal for him at his age. I really doubt there are many 1st graders who are reading Harry Potter. I told him how proud I was of him to be reading that book. He asked me how many AR points he would get for it and so we looked it up together. He about freaked when I told him. This book is ranked on a 6th grade level and is worth 14 AR points!!! And the really funny part about this is that when Emily heard this she FREAKED! The competition is ON!!!!
And I can't close without asking for some prayers for my dad. He started his radiation this week for his cancer. They are trying to shrink the tumor in his lung before they can do surgery to remove it. Removing it right now is just too risky and they need to try to get it to reduce in size as much as they can before doing any surgery. Please say a prayer for Lenord Roberson if you could.
We ended up having a wonderful time at Magic Moments Family Camp despite a few rain showers here and there. Ethan and Rob went tubing. Emily swam in the lake and played in the sand while they were tubing. The kids loved swimming in the pool. We played in the most awesome pirate tree house ever! We went boat riding. There were fun carnival games where the kids won little prizes. We had quite a competitive round of bingo. They did some arts and crafts. We rocked out and got our groove on during the evening dance. The parents got to enjoy a quiet meal without the kids during Parents Night Out / Kids Night Out. We had an amazing fireworks show! And some of the best times were when we weren't really doing much of anything at all except catching lightening bugs in the evening or eating Pop Rocks on the deck of our cabin. We are so blessed to be able to go to such an amazing camp each year. Magic Moments is truly one of the best children's charities that I've ever seen. Ethan and Emily feel like they keep getting wishes each and every year because of this wonderful camp. For those of you that may not know, Magic Moments hosts a camp each year for the wish children and their families. It is held at Children's Harbor on Lake Martin. Once you've been granted a wish, you are eligible to go to this camp each year until you turn 18. We still have many years left. And the one thing that amazes me about Ethan and Emily is that they are totally blind to children's disabilities that attend this camp. No matter the severity of the other children's issues, it made no difference to my kids. They were all just kids in their eyes! And that's the way it should be! In fact, Emily played in the sand with a little girl who had Spina Bifida and the little girl could only communicate by sign language. Even though Emily couldn't sign with her, they still managed to play together and have fun. But ever since we got home, Emily has been determined to learn to sign. She knows that they used to sign when they were infants and toddlers, but she doesn't remember the signs. She pulled out the signing DVDs I had and she has been watching them and teaching herself to sign. I also pulled out an old sign language book that I had from when I was little and gave it to her.
Also, now that school is out, I have signed the kids up for swimming lessons. They desperately need them. Their P.E. coach from school teaches the lessons and I am praying that they work for the kids. Emily is scared to death about it, too, because I won't be staying for the lesson. Ethan is more excited because he really WANTS to learn to swim. I'm hoping that these are successful because they will end just before our cousins from Colorado come for a visit. I know that we'll be swimming while they are here.
Since the kids have been out of school, they have been doing a lot of reading. Emily was reading a book that was 282 pages. She can't wait until the school library opens next week so she can go in and test on it. They can test on books all summer and they will count towards next year's AR points. I was telling Emily about some of the Beverly Cleary books. I thought that she would really enjoy reading some of those. So we went to the public library yesterday and she got two of the Ramona books. While we were there, Ethan spotted the Harry Potter books. He is such a huge HP fan and really wanted to check out one of the books. I told him he could, but I showed him how thick they were. I just didn't want him to get discouraged. It has only been very recently that he has even gotten into reading. I'd hate for him to give up on it because he got something too hard. I told him to take the book and sit down on one of the couches and read the first two pages for me. I just wanted to make sure that he didn't have any problems with the words, punctuation, comprehension, etc. He sat down and within just a minute or two he was done and said that he wanted to check it out. Well, that was yesterday, and Ethan is already on page 32 of the Harry Potter book! He got the second book in the series because the first one was checked out. He has seen all of the movies so he isn't missing the plot. He has spent so much of the day just reading. He LOVES this book. So, I sat him down this afternoon and worked out a plan with him. I first asked him how it was going and if he was having any trouble at all with any part of the book. He said he wasn't. I told him that when you read really big books like this, you have to do it in baby steps. I told him that if he can read an average of just 10 pages per day, then he can finish the book in just 34 days. I said that that would be a very good goal for him at his age. I really doubt there are many 1st graders who are reading Harry Potter. I told him how proud I was of him to be reading that book. He asked me how many AR points he would get for it and so we looked it up together. He about freaked when I told him. This book is ranked on a 6th grade level and is worth 14 AR points!!! And the really funny part about this is that when Emily heard this she FREAKED! The competition is ON!!!!
And I can't close without asking for some prayers for my dad. He started his radiation this week for his cancer. They are trying to shrink the tumor in his lung before they can do surgery to remove it. Removing it right now is just too risky and they need to try to get it to reduce in size as much as they can before doing any surgery. Please say a prayer for Lenord Roberson if you could.
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