David's mom took Hunter, Peyton and Aubrey for the night. The four of us left at home decided to go out to dinner and just enjoy a peaceful time - dinner's out with everyone are pretty chaotic, so it's nice once in a while to have a break. We got a phone call right before we left for dinner that Hunter was very upset and crying because he wanted to come home. We checked during the middle of dinner and he was still upset - so we met afterwards and brought him home. When asking him what was wrong, he simply just said "I realized that I wouldn't get to see you mom and it made me sad" How sweet! He showered me with compliments all the way home - such a sweet little guy. Peyton and Aubrey stayed and were excited for their time away.
David told me that Aubrey came over to him today and said to him "Daddy, I am very sad" and when he asked her why she was sad she replied "Because you are a cry-baby" then she started giggling and ran off. He got quite a kick out of it.
We are enjoying a quiet evening at home and looking forward to an uneventful weekend!
Take care!
Dawn
Friday, January 30, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
It is hard to believe that it's been almost 4 years since Peyton's surgery for his craniosynostosis. I had never heard of this before Peyton was diagnosed with it, or should I say - I, along with my friend Angela, diagnosed him with it
I am not one to over-react especially with medical conditions, but I believe that when you know something isn't right - stick with it, do your research and if you are proven wrong - even better, but I'd rather been proven wrong than to have been right and it not been taken care of in the appropriate time frame.
What is Craniosynostosis? In an infant, the skull is not a solid piece of bone, but several bony plates separated by fibrous sutures. These sutures allow room for growth as an infant develops, and will eventually fuse to form a solid skull. Craniosynostosis is a condition in which one or more of these sutures fuse prematurely, causing restricted skull and brain growth. The result is an abnormally shaped head, or in severe cases, increased pressure on the brain. It is often sporadic with unknown cause, but can sometimes be linked a genetic syndrome. A physician’s examination as well as X-rays and/or a CT scan are required in order to properly diagnose craniosynostosis.
There are different types of craniosynostosis and Peyton's type is:
Sagittal synostosis (scaphocephaly). Premature fusion of the suture at the top of the head (sagittal suture) forces the head to grow long and narrow, rather than wide. The most common type of craniosynostosis, scaphocephaly is more common in boys.
Peyton had his surgery on 1/31/05 and he did remarkable.
This is a copy of an e-mail that I sent out after he came home:
Peyton is doing very well. His surgery was supposed to last 4-5 hours and they got done in 3 1/2 hours, so I was quite pleased with that and he got to come home a day earlier than what we expected. He has been very clingy which is totally expected since he isn't feeling well. He was getting pretty irritated yesterday before we went home. This guy came in to measure his head for his helmet and then the nurse was taking out his last IVs and he was not pleased. I think at that point he was tired of being messed with and he let us all know it.
Everyone else is doing well. I'm just trying to get caught up on my sleep. I did get to sleep in the hospital, but not as well as at home. Peyton did pretty good last night, he only woke up once. I think his pain medicine had worn off, and we had slept through his dose, so we got caught up on that and once it kicked in he went back to sleep for the night.
I just want to say thank you to everyone who was praying for him. I am positive that is why his surgery went as well as it did and he got to come home as early as he did. We appreciate every one's thoughts and prayers.
Here is a little collage of pictures that I took of Peyton - the first photo is at 6 a.m. on 1/31 before we headed to the hospital and through our stay there until he arrived home.
I was thinking about his surgery yesterday since the anniversary is this week and we went to Children's Mercy yesterday - it was snowing when we headed down there yesterday and it was snowing the morning of 1/31/05! It seems like whenever I go there it is snowing, well maybe not every time. I took him down yesterday for an MRI and he did amazing. They had to sedate him for the test, since it's about 45 minutes long - they gave him an IV and while he was quite bothered about what they were doing, he never cried. I was very proud of him. The nurse promised him that she would remove it as soon as he woke up and the first thing he said to her when he woke up was "take this off of me now". She got quite a kick out of that.
The MRI was ordered to ensure that his sleep apnea was indeed obstructive sleep apnea and just to make sure that nothing else is going on. I am positive that everything is okay though!
I did receive an e-mail this evening from Megan and it seems as if Marleigh and Natalie are still doing good. They both had an echocardiogram to make sure their PDA's were closed and thankfully they were. So far, so good...
Take Care...
Dawn
I am not one to over-react especially with medical conditions, but I believe that when you know something isn't right - stick with it, do your research and if you are proven wrong - even better, but I'd rather been proven wrong than to have been right and it not been taken care of in the appropriate time frame.
What is Craniosynostosis? In an infant, the skull is not a solid piece of bone, but several bony plates separated by fibrous sutures. These sutures allow room for growth as an infant develops, and will eventually fuse to form a solid skull. Craniosynostosis is a condition in which one or more of these sutures fuse prematurely, causing restricted skull and brain growth. The result is an abnormally shaped head, or in severe cases, increased pressure on the brain. It is often sporadic with unknown cause, but can sometimes be linked a genetic syndrome. A physician’s examination as well as X-rays and/or a CT scan are required in order to properly diagnose craniosynostosis.
There are different types of craniosynostosis and Peyton's type is:
Sagittal synostosis (scaphocephaly). Premature fusion of the suture at the top of the head (sagittal suture) forces the head to grow long and narrow, rather than wide. The most common type of craniosynostosis, scaphocephaly is more common in boys.
Peyton had his surgery on 1/31/05 and he did remarkable.
This is a copy of an e-mail that I sent out after he came home:
Peyton is doing very well. His surgery was supposed to last 4-5 hours and they got done in 3 1/2 hours, so I was quite pleased with that and he got to come home a day earlier than what we expected. He has been very clingy which is totally expected since he isn't feeling well. He was getting pretty irritated yesterday before we went home. This guy came in to measure his head for his helmet and then the nurse was taking out his last IVs and he was not pleased. I think at that point he was tired of being messed with and he let us all know it.
Everyone else is doing well. I'm just trying to get caught up on my sleep. I did get to sleep in the hospital, but not as well as at home. Peyton did pretty good last night, he only woke up once. I think his pain medicine had worn off, and we had slept through his dose, so we got caught up on that and once it kicked in he went back to sleep for the night.
I just want to say thank you to everyone who was praying for him. I am positive that is why his surgery went as well as it did and he got to come home as early as he did. We appreciate every one's thoughts and prayers.
Here is a little collage of pictures that I took of Peyton - the first photo is at 6 a.m. on 1/31 before we headed to the hospital and through our stay there until he arrived home.
I was thinking about his surgery yesterday since the anniversary is this week and we went to Children's Mercy yesterday - it was snowing when we headed down there yesterday and it was snowing the morning of 1/31/05! It seems like whenever I go there it is snowing, well maybe not every time. I took him down yesterday for an MRI and he did amazing. They had to sedate him for the test, since it's about 45 minutes long - they gave him an IV and while he was quite bothered about what they were doing, he never cried. I was very proud of him. The nurse promised him that she would remove it as soon as he woke up and the first thing he said to her when he woke up was "take this off of me now". She got quite a kick out of that.The MRI was ordered to ensure that his sleep apnea was indeed obstructive sleep apnea and just to make sure that nothing else is going on. I am positive that everything is okay though!
I did receive an e-mail this evening from Megan and it seems as if Marleigh and Natalie are still doing good. They both had an echocardiogram to make sure their PDA's were closed and thankfully they were. So far, so good...
Take Care...
Dawn
Sunday, January 25, 2009
The kids and I had a nice trip to Grandma and Grandpa's house today. My brothers were there and the kids were looking forward to playing with their cousins. I was able to visit for a little while with my Grandma and Grandpa Harris and we celebrated Matt's 25th birthday with some cake and ice cream.
Brian, Matt, my dad and I all engaged in a game of Monopoly and I don't remember the last time I had this much fun. Brian and Matt were just full of fun and games and entertainment today and I haven't laughed so hard in a long time. In the end, my dad got irritated and just put the game up and so there was no official winner - but even that was funny.
It is days like today when I miss living closer to my family and wish that we did live a little closer so we would be able to spend more times like this together. I wish that the kids were able to be closer in distance to their cousins, but we are lucky that we are not so far away that we can go down on the weekends. I called my mom as we got close to home so she would know we made it safely and we were talking about our day and even with all the craziness that goes on, she said it is so nice to see everyone have such a good time together. This is the one thing I wish for my children - to have a family unity as we have and to be able to share in these moments together when they are grown. I look forward to having my children come home with their children and sharing in moments like we were able to share today.
Megan joined us later in the day as she had been out visiting with her family at the hospital with the twins. They had been on vents for a while, but have been taken off and are breathing on their own and are both starting on breast milk - less the a teaspoon each. Megan had some pictures to share - she was unable to see them, but had taken some photos of photos that had been taken and was able to share with us. I'm sure the road ahead will be rocky, but will continue to pray for Marleigh and Natalie.
I hope everyone has a good week ahead.
Dawn
Brian, Matt, my dad and I all engaged in a game of Monopoly and I don't remember the last time I had this much fun. Brian and Matt were just full of fun and games and entertainment today and I haven't laughed so hard in a long time. In the end, my dad got irritated and just put the game up and so there was no official winner - but even that was funny.
It is days like today when I miss living closer to my family and wish that we did live a little closer so we would be able to spend more times like this together. I wish that the kids were able to be closer in distance to their cousins, but we are lucky that we are not so far away that we can go down on the weekends. I called my mom as we got close to home so she would know we made it safely and we were talking about our day and even with all the craziness that goes on, she said it is so nice to see everyone have such a good time together. This is the one thing I wish for my children - to have a family unity as we have and to be able to share in these moments together when they are grown. I look forward to having my children come home with their children and sharing in moments like we were able to share today.
Megan joined us later in the day as she had been out visiting with her family at the hospital with the twins. They had been on vents for a while, but have been taken off and are breathing on their own and are both starting on breast milk - less the a teaspoon each. Megan had some pictures to share - she was unable to see them, but had taken some photos of photos that had been taken and was able to share with us. I'm sure the road ahead will be rocky, but will continue to pray for Marleigh and Natalie.
I hope everyone has a good week ahead.
Dawn
Saturday, January 24, 2009
What's for Dinner?
I have to admit that when it comes to planning dinner I am not the best at being prepared. I am usually trying to figure out the day of what we are going to have. It is one of those things that I am trying to work on. I had taken some chicken out of the freezer last night to be prepared for dinner tonight. I was feeling quite proud of myself.
When discussing my dinner plans with David, he mentioned he would like to try something new that he had seen on a show. I was quite surprised by this as I am married to one of the pickest eaters out there, and trying new things is sometimes difficult. Now I may have thought I was prepared, but I am going to take these opportunities that present themselves since it doesn't happen very often.
The idea presented was "Southern Fried Chicken Nachos with Peach-Pecan Salsa" which can be found at http://www.bhg.com/bhg/file.jsp?item=/contests/ptr_ann_challenge/TostitosWinner&temp=yes.
I had most of the items needed, but needed to pickup a few items, so Aubrey and I headed off to HyVee to pick up what we needed. Aubrey was quite the little helper and she decided it was her job to push the cart and I was not allowed to help. I helped her guide it without her knowledge and snuck a little picture of her being my big helper today.
When discussing my dinner plans with David, he mentioned he would like to try something new that he had seen on a show. I was quite surprised by this as I am married to one of the pickest eaters out there, and trying new things is sometimes difficult. Now I may have thought I was prepared, but I am going to take these opportunities that present themselves since it doesn't happen very often.
The idea presented was "Southern Fried Chicken Nachos with Peach-Pecan Salsa" which can be found at http://www.bhg.com/bhg/file.jsp?item=/contests/ptr_ann_challenge/TostitosWinner&temp=yes.
I had most of the items needed, but needed to pickup a few items, so Aubrey and I headed off to HyVee to pick up what we needed. Aubrey was quite the little helper and she decided it was her job to push the cart and I was not allowed to help. I helped her guide it without her knowledge and snuck a little picture of her being my big helper today.
Here's what's for dinner, kids (I watch a little too much Rachael Ray)
This is the official version, along with some salsa and cheese dip on the side...and don't mind the fancy dinnerware.
I prepared the kids plates and the responses were as follows:
Peyton - "Yucky green things" (the cilantro) and "Yucky red things" (the red onions) he ate his chips and the chicken.
Hunter - "Mom, this is nasty! I liked the chicken and the chips and salsa, but the rest of it is just nasty."
Aubrey - Pretty much the same response as Hunter and I believe she even used nasty to describe it.
Tanner - fell asleep and left a full plate.
Zach - ate the chips and chicken and skipped the Peach-Pecan Salsa and resorted to Pace Picante Sauce.
David and I loved it! The Peach-Pecan Salsa was awesome and I even think this is something that I would make just to have as a dip for chips. The cream cheese-salsa verde mixture was also very good and something that could be used as a dip. The chicken was wonderful. We both agreed that it is something we would have again for dinner with modifications made for the kids. We'll skip the dips for them and serve the chicken with their chips and dip and I think they would be happy!
I did mention to David that if this was a recipe that I had brought to his attention that he would have stuck his nose up and not wanted to try...he agreed...but, now he has hesitantly agreed that when I mention something different, he'll at least give it a try before automatically saying no. Success!
On a separate note, I love cheesecake and like experimenting with new types of cheesecakes on occasion. Since I was experimenting with this new dish, I decided I might as well make a dessert to and so I made an Apple Pecan Cheesecake. It is delicious!
The kids and I are heading off to Grandma's house tomorrow to celebrate Uncle Matt's 25th birthday - I am looking forward to seeing my parents and grandparents and siblings, as we haven't seen them since Christmas. The kids have been begging to go down for the past several weekends, so it should be a fun day.
Have a good weekend!
Dawn
Update
I talked with my sister-in-law Megan this afternoon and wanted to give a little update on Marley Ann who weighed in at 2lbs 2 ozs and Natalie Grace who weighed in at 1lb 11 oz. They were born at 26 weeks - I wasn't exactly sure yesterday how many weeks they were. At this time, they both appear to be doing good, however, as we all know with babies this early everything is day by day. Please keep them in your prayers.
Dawn
Dawn
Friday, January 23, 2009
I would like to begin by asking for some prayers for Marley and Natalie Grace Johnson. They are the newborn daughters of my sister-in-laws brother Marc and Sara Johnson. If you followed that! :) I am not exactly sure how early they are, but they are somewhere around 25-26 weeks along and arrived much too early. From what I understand, they are breathing on their own right now - but I don't have much information. The Johnson family is such a great family and I pray that everything will work out for them. I did find it a little funny that they named one of the twins Natalie Grace, as that is the name of my new niece who was born in December. My prayers are with the Johnson family as they begin this journey with their newest members.
It seems like Aubrey did not learn from her experience of cutting her own hair, as she is at it again. It is not horribly bad, but above the ears on one side and she got in quite the trouble tonight. We have already discussed how if she feels she needs a haircut that we will call and make an appointment and not to take the issue into her own hands. I cut Zach and Tanner's hair the other night and during this she said - I don't cut my hair. I suppose she forgot - although, she is trying to blame Peyton for cutting her hair and Peyton is blaming Tanner.
Tanner does seem to be getting much blame lately. It seems like he has reached the right age for the older ones to start trickling down the blame. Peyton and Aubrey were getting in trouble from their dad last night for tearing something up and they both quickly were to blame Tanner. What they didn't think about though as that the item was up high enough that Tanner would not have been able to climb up and reach. Maybe he did tear it up, but he had some help in it.
I was invited to a jewelry party on Wednesday night and went and hung out at my friend Lori's house. I had a nice time and was able to visit with my friend Becky whom I hadn't seen in quite a while - it was a nice time and it's always nice to spend a little time with good friends!
David and I had signed up to take a Positive Parenting class on Thursday evening through the Early Childhood Program at Peyton's school. David ended up getting called into work, so I decided to go ahead and attend and I took Peyton & Aubrey along. They were providing child care and it was with Peyton's daily teachers, who the kids just love. Zach kept Hunter & Tanner at home and I'm glad it worked out that way. When I got to the school, I found out that the instructor had a family emergency and had to cancel, so they arranged a literary night instead. Peyton and Aubrey had a fun time coloring and making their own books. I am sure Hunter would have enjoyed this too, but I was glad I only had to follow around the two.
I took a vacation day today and had a good day. I took Peyton to a doctor's appointment this morning for a physical. He checked out quite well, but had a few tears at the visit. When the nurse went to take his blood pressure she had him take his shirt off and put on a little cover up. For whatever reason, he got so upset over the cover up - it wasn't even the blood pressure that seemed to bother him. He cried and cried until he got his shirt back on - such a silly boy! He weighed in at 44 lbs and was 43 inches tall. He also ended up getting a flu shot in the end and was not happy about that at all - but, he didn't cry for long.
After the appointment, we met up with Lori and had lunch at Panera. I just love Panera. Peyton enjoyed a peanut butter & jelly sandwich and was having fun with one of the people who worked there. The guy brought over a small sack before we left with a cookie for Peyton. He enjoyed his cookie and his special time out.
I also attended a special ceremony at Zach's school today for the students who made the honor roll and had perfect attendance. Zach was on the B honor roll and also had perfect attendance for the semester. I took a couple pictures of him up on stage, but they seemed a little dark. Maybe I'll post them out here later. I am so proud of him. He enrolls for high school next week. I cannot believe that I am going to be the mom of a high school student - just doesn't seem possible. It is really amazing how fast the years fly once they start kindergarten. The years have flown by since Zach started school, and I imagine they will go just as fast now that Hunter has started and Peyton is following quickly behind.
I guess I shouldn't go so long in writing as I feel like I have just written a novel. We had a lot going on this week and I just didn't take the time to sit down and write. I will try to write shorter and not so far in between.
It seems like Aubrey did not learn from her experience of cutting her own hair, as she is at it again. It is not horribly bad, but above the ears on one side and she got in quite the trouble tonight. We have already discussed how if she feels she needs a haircut that we will call and make an appointment and not to take the issue into her own hands. I cut Zach and Tanner's hair the other night and during this she said - I don't cut my hair. I suppose she forgot - although, she is trying to blame Peyton for cutting her hair and Peyton is blaming Tanner.
Tanner does seem to be getting much blame lately. It seems like he has reached the right age for the older ones to start trickling down the blame. Peyton and Aubrey were getting in trouble from their dad last night for tearing something up and they both quickly were to blame Tanner. What they didn't think about though as that the item was up high enough that Tanner would not have been able to climb up and reach. Maybe he did tear it up, but he had some help in it.
I was invited to a jewelry party on Wednesday night and went and hung out at my friend Lori's house. I had a nice time and was able to visit with my friend Becky whom I hadn't seen in quite a while - it was a nice time and it's always nice to spend a little time with good friends!
David and I had signed up to take a Positive Parenting class on Thursday evening through the Early Childhood Program at Peyton's school. David ended up getting called into work, so I decided to go ahead and attend and I took Peyton & Aubrey along. They were providing child care and it was with Peyton's daily teachers, who the kids just love. Zach kept Hunter & Tanner at home and I'm glad it worked out that way. When I got to the school, I found out that the instructor had a family emergency and had to cancel, so they arranged a literary night instead. Peyton and Aubrey had a fun time coloring and making their own books. I am sure Hunter would have enjoyed this too, but I was glad I only had to follow around the two.
I took a vacation day today and had a good day. I took Peyton to a doctor's appointment this morning for a physical. He checked out quite well, but had a few tears at the visit. When the nurse went to take his blood pressure she had him take his shirt off and put on a little cover up. For whatever reason, he got so upset over the cover up - it wasn't even the blood pressure that seemed to bother him. He cried and cried until he got his shirt back on - such a silly boy! He weighed in at 44 lbs and was 43 inches tall. He also ended up getting a flu shot in the end and was not happy about that at all - but, he didn't cry for long.
After the appointment, we met up with Lori and had lunch at Panera. I just love Panera. Peyton enjoyed a peanut butter & jelly sandwich and was having fun with one of the people who worked there. The guy brought over a small sack before we left with a cookie for Peyton. He enjoyed his cookie and his special time out.
I also attended a special ceremony at Zach's school today for the students who made the honor roll and had perfect attendance. Zach was on the B honor roll and also had perfect attendance for the semester. I took a couple pictures of him up on stage, but they seemed a little dark. Maybe I'll post them out here later. I am so proud of him. He enrolls for high school next week. I cannot believe that I am going to be the mom of a high school student - just doesn't seem possible. It is really amazing how fast the years fly once they start kindergarten. The years have flown by since Zach started school, and I imagine they will go just as fast now that Hunter has started and Peyton is following quickly behind.
I guess I shouldn't go so long in writing as I feel like I have just written a novel. We had a lot going on this week and I just didn't take the time to sit down and write. I will try to write shorter and not so far in between.
One last little message to Sarita - I hope you had a great birthday today!
Take Care...
Dawn
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Happy Birthday David!!!
Here's wishing David a very Happy 37th birthday! I hope we celebrate many more birthdays together!
Dawn
Dawn
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Eskimo Kisses
David has recently taught Aubrey how to "Eskimo Kiss" and this is now her new thing to do. She sat on my lap this morning and kissed me over and over Eskimo style. It was so cute. This morning, I was up with Hunter, Peyton and Aubrey and mentioned that I needed to go wake up Zach so he could get ready for church. Aubrey joined me and she quietly climbed up on his bed, tapped his shoulder and Eskimo kissed him awake. He woke up with the nicest smile and once she realized he was awake she said "Wake up Sleepy Head". I have to say it was a sweet little moment between Zach and his baby sister.
The boys have now all joined in with Eskimo Kissing and this evening, Peyton came into give me an Eskimo Kiss and he had his lips all puckered - I had to explain to him how it was done and now he is a pro. Even Tanner has gotten in on the action. We are an Eskimo Kissing bunch around here.
Hugs and Eskimo Kisses...
Dawn
The boys have now all joined in with Eskimo Kissing and this evening, Peyton came into give me an Eskimo Kiss and he had his lips all puckered - I had to explain to him how it was done and now he is a pro. Even Tanner has gotten in on the action. We are an Eskimo Kissing bunch around here.
Hugs and Eskimo Kisses...
Dawn
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Family Time and Police visits...
I should probably start this story off first about the last part of the title...Police visits.
I got a call yesterday afternoon around 2ish from David letting me know that he got a call from the police officer who works at Zach's school. I immediately asked what happened and if Zach did something - luckily he didn't do anything that had the police calling us, but rumor around school had it that some kids were going to pick a fight with him on the school bus and Officer Nunn felt like it would be best if he just brought Zach home from school. Zach had told him he was sure everything would be fine, but the officer said he's rather be safe. So, Zach got escorted home in a police car! I wonder what the neighbors thought! I'm glad he didn't do anything wrong, but we were quick to find out the details from Zach. Turns out, one of his classmates was being rather annoying and getting on the kids nerves yesterday and Zach asked him to stop. He didn't take to kindly to this and I guess said he was going to try and fight Zach on the bus - so, we've had many discussions this weekend on what to do if this situation arises. I hope it doesn't arise!
Speaking of Zach, he brought home some paperwork this week from school to enroll in high school. I was quite impressed with him the other night - he sat and went through the book with all the classes listed and decided upon two different paths that he might be interested in taking. He seems so much more interested in school and I couldn't be happier! I still don't think I'm old enough to be the parent of a high school student...but, I guess I am!
We decided to go ahead and take the kids on a night out last night. We took the kids to dinner and then headed back to the hotel where they all got ready to go swimming and we headed down to the pool for some fun in the water. When we got down there, we were the only ones at the pool and they had a great time swimming. Aubrey even woke up this morning wanting to know if we could go to the pool again. I have posted some pictures on Flickr from our little adventure. It was a nice time out and the hotel room was very nice. This morning before we headed home, we took the kids over to Cabella's and walked around and the kids all enjoyed looking at the animals. David and I both agreed that as a family of 7, you can't do many things for under 100. and we felt like this was a good time had by all.
We were a little worried though as the kids were having a good time in the hotel room and we were afraid that we would get a noise complaint. They didn't quite get the fact that they couldn't just run like wild. We did find out though that there was no one beneath us and felt a little better about that. We took advantage of the "free" breakfast and they didn't know how to act with all the choices before them. If anything, it was a nice break from being stuck at home in this cold weather and we all had a good time.
That's all for now...Take care!
Dawn
I got a call yesterday afternoon around 2ish from David letting me know that he got a call from the police officer who works at Zach's school. I immediately asked what happened and if Zach did something - luckily he didn't do anything that had the police calling us, but rumor around school had it that some kids were going to pick a fight with him on the school bus and Officer Nunn felt like it would be best if he just brought Zach home from school. Zach had told him he was sure everything would be fine, but the officer said he's rather be safe. So, Zach got escorted home in a police car! I wonder what the neighbors thought! I'm glad he didn't do anything wrong, but we were quick to find out the details from Zach. Turns out, one of his classmates was being rather annoying and getting on the kids nerves yesterday and Zach asked him to stop. He didn't take to kindly to this and I guess said he was going to try and fight Zach on the bus - so, we've had many discussions this weekend on what to do if this situation arises. I hope it doesn't arise!
Speaking of Zach, he brought home some paperwork this week from school to enroll in high school. I was quite impressed with him the other night - he sat and went through the book with all the classes listed and decided upon two different paths that he might be interested in taking. He seems so much more interested in school and I couldn't be happier! I still don't think I'm old enough to be the parent of a high school student...but, I guess I am!
We decided to go ahead and take the kids on a night out last night. We took the kids to dinner and then headed back to the hotel where they all got ready to go swimming and we headed down to the pool for some fun in the water. When we got down there, we were the only ones at the pool and they had a great time swimming. Aubrey even woke up this morning wanting to know if we could go to the pool again. I have posted some pictures on Flickr from our little adventure. It was a nice time out and the hotel room was very nice. This morning before we headed home, we took the kids over to Cabella's and walked around and the kids all enjoyed looking at the animals. David and I both agreed that as a family of 7, you can't do many things for under 100. and we felt like this was a good time had by all.
We were a little worried though as the kids were having a good time in the hotel room and we were afraid that we would get a noise complaint. They didn't quite get the fact that they couldn't just run like wild. We did find out though that there was no one beneath us and felt a little better about that. We took advantage of the "free" breakfast and they didn't know how to act with all the choices before them. If anything, it was a nice break from being stuck at home in this cold weather and we all had a good time.
That's all for now...Take care!
Dawn
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
I was looking forward to stepping on the scales on Monday as I did so good last week tracking all of my meals, snacks etc and from working out. I was down, which was good, but slightly disappointed that I was only down .6 and would have liked to at least been down a pound. Oh well, at least it was in the right direction and I've been back to the gym this week. Too bad it isn't as easy to lose it as it is to gain!
I learned the other day that I use a word a little more often than I realized. I have always used this word and it's one of those words that I don't even think about when I use it...of course, this word is not a good word...but, it's not the worst word either, in my opinion. I was a little surprised though when Tanner threw away something in the trash that Aubrey didn't agree with and her response to him was "Damn it" and then when she dropped something on the floor and we heard from this little 3 year old..."damn it". I need to be a little more aware of what I'm saying as little ears are always listening. Even though I don't want her saying this, David and I did get quite a chuckle out of hearing her because just the way she said it. Better put that on my list of things to improve on!
David and I had planned a special weekend with the kids. We arranged to stay out at the Hampton Inn at the Legends in Kansas City, Kansas on Friday evening. One of the great benefits of his job at the hotel is the deep discounts he gets as an employee, and especially at the Hampton Inn's since that is where he works. The have a nice family suite there and we thought it would be a nice break. They have bunk beds for the kids and games in the room. We also thought about visiting the pool and just taking a break from the extreme weather to enjoy something different. I think we are going to have to cancel our plans though...we got a surprise in the mail today and it wasn't a good one. Seems like our gas bill was over $350.00 and despite the fact that our get away was going to be very inexpensive, we feel like we should save every little bit for this. Wouldn't it be nice not to have to worry about this stuff!
Who knows...we may still figure it out somehow, but I just wish at times life would be easier.
It seems like everything is so expensive and I wonder what it will be like when my children are grown.
Well, it appears that there is a knock-down drag out match beginning and mom needs to break it up. Oh the joys of boys! Although, little miss Aubrey can get in the middle of these and hold her own quite well!
Stay warm!
Dawn
I learned the other day that I use a word a little more often than I realized. I have always used this word and it's one of those words that I don't even think about when I use it...of course, this word is not a good word...but, it's not the worst word either, in my opinion. I was a little surprised though when Tanner threw away something in the trash that Aubrey didn't agree with and her response to him was "Damn it" and then when she dropped something on the floor and we heard from this little 3 year old..."damn it". I need to be a little more aware of what I'm saying as little ears are always listening. Even though I don't want her saying this, David and I did get quite a chuckle out of hearing her because just the way she said it. Better put that on my list of things to improve on!
David and I had planned a special weekend with the kids. We arranged to stay out at the Hampton Inn at the Legends in Kansas City, Kansas on Friday evening. One of the great benefits of his job at the hotel is the deep discounts he gets as an employee, and especially at the Hampton Inn's since that is where he works. The have a nice family suite there and we thought it would be a nice break. They have bunk beds for the kids and games in the room. We also thought about visiting the pool and just taking a break from the extreme weather to enjoy something different. I think we are going to have to cancel our plans though...we got a surprise in the mail today and it wasn't a good one. Seems like our gas bill was over $350.00 and despite the fact that our get away was going to be very inexpensive, we feel like we should save every little bit for this. Wouldn't it be nice not to have to worry about this stuff!
Who knows...we may still figure it out somehow, but I just wish at times life would be easier.
It seems like everything is so expensive and I wonder what it will be like when my children are grown.
Well, it appears that there is a knock-down drag out match beginning and mom needs to break it up. Oh the joys of boys! Although, little miss Aubrey can get in the middle of these and hold her own quite well!
Stay warm!
Dawn
Sunday, January 11, 2009
A Long Week...
It was a long week and I didn't have much time to write about anything that happened this past week. It was final week of year-end at work for my department and with that comes many long hours and lots of work! David said to me that it wasn't year-end anymore, but in the financial world - it doesn't go by calendar days. I worked until after 10p.m. on Tuesday and was down right worn out.
I also started working on my weight loss plan this week. I felt like I had a pretty successful week and am looking forward to stepping on the scales tomorrow to see if any progress was made. I also started working out during lunch and that went pretty good. I started on Wednesday and made it each of the remaining three days. I went to an Abs/back and weight training class on Thursday during lunch and thought that I was on the verge of dying afterwards. I could barely move on Friday, but I know that is a good pain and I'm ready to go back this week. I hope this week isn't quite as painful as last week, but I am looking forward to the results!
The boys all got back into the swing of thing with school back in session. Peyton had the hardest time I think getting back into the right schedule. I hope this week is much better for him. He did fine at school, just had a hard time getting his sleep times adjusted, because when they are out of school - we are not the best at keeping a solid bedtime going.
Hunter was off on Monday due to his little issue, but had no other problems with it and was back to school on Tuesday. I worried about him a little bit, as he sometimes has a time adjusting and after being out for a couple weeks, I wasn't sure how he would do. No tears were shed though and he got right back into things easily.
Zach started his second semester at school and ended the first semester on a good note. We received his report card in the mail on Saturday and he made the B honor roll! We could not be more excited for him! He always struggled on his grades so much when he was in private school and this year he has just excelled and is loving school. They sent home a letter from the principal inviting us to a special ceremony, he will be honored along with the other honor roll students this month, as well as, for perfect attendance. He was sick one day - just happened to be a snow day, so that worked out quite well!
Zachary stayed the night Friday night with David's parents and we hung out at home with the little ones. David and I were so tired and we were all asleep by 9:30. I can't remember the last time I went to sleep so early. We spent a nice day at home on Saturday and I didn't even get out of my pj's. David and I had a scrabble contest throughout the day and we had so much fun at this. The kids played in the room with us and all got along so well. David turned on some music and the kids and I danced around the room. They all had their turn dancing with me and I think Tanner enjoyed it the most. He just giggled and laughed the entire time. It was a fun day. Zach came home later in the afternoon and we hung out and watched a movie. It was a perfect day!
I didn't realize that today was going to be a nice day - thought it was going to be another cold day, but it turned out to be pretty nice out. I called David's Grandma to see if she was up to company today, as the kids were wanting to go see her. She was at David's parents, so I took the kids out there and we visted for a couple hours. We don't get to see her near as often since she moved and I know she misses the little ones. We had a nice visit and when we got home, we spent some time with David before he had to head to work. It was another nice day!
We don't have too much going on this week, other than school and work, so I hope it is quite uneventful. We have made some plans to spend some special family time together on Friday and Saturday and that will give us something to look forward to throughout the week.
Take care - Stay warm!
Dawn
I also started working on my weight loss plan this week. I felt like I had a pretty successful week and am looking forward to stepping on the scales tomorrow to see if any progress was made. I also started working out during lunch and that went pretty good. I started on Wednesday and made it each of the remaining three days. I went to an Abs/back and weight training class on Thursday during lunch and thought that I was on the verge of dying afterwards. I could barely move on Friday, but I know that is a good pain and I'm ready to go back this week. I hope this week isn't quite as painful as last week, but I am looking forward to the results!
The boys all got back into the swing of thing with school back in session. Peyton had the hardest time I think getting back into the right schedule. I hope this week is much better for him. He did fine at school, just had a hard time getting his sleep times adjusted, because when they are out of school - we are not the best at keeping a solid bedtime going.
Hunter was off on Monday due to his little issue, but had no other problems with it and was back to school on Tuesday. I worried about him a little bit, as he sometimes has a time adjusting and after being out for a couple weeks, I wasn't sure how he would do. No tears were shed though and he got right back into things easily.
Zach started his second semester at school and ended the first semester on a good note. We received his report card in the mail on Saturday and he made the B honor roll! We could not be more excited for him! He always struggled on his grades so much when he was in private school and this year he has just excelled and is loving school. They sent home a letter from the principal inviting us to a special ceremony, he will be honored along with the other honor roll students this month, as well as, for perfect attendance. He was sick one day - just happened to be a snow day, so that worked out quite well!
Zachary stayed the night Friday night with David's parents and we hung out at home with the little ones. David and I were so tired and we were all asleep by 9:30. I can't remember the last time I went to sleep so early. We spent a nice day at home on Saturday and I didn't even get out of my pj's. David and I had a scrabble contest throughout the day and we had so much fun at this. The kids played in the room with us and all got along so well. David turned on some music and the kids and I danced around the room. They all had their turn dancing with me and I think Tanner enjoyed it the most. He just giggled and laughed the entire time. It was a fun day. Zach came home later in the afternoon and we hung out and watched a movie. It was a perfect day!
I didn't realize that today was going to be a nice day - thought it was going to be another cold day, but it turned out to be pretty nice out. I called David's Grandma to see if she was up to company today, as the kids were wanting to go see her. She was at David's parents, so I took the kids out there and we visted for a couple hours. We don't get to see her near as often since she moved and I know she misses the little ones. We had a nice visit and when we got home, we spent some time with David before he had to head to work. It was another nice day!
We don't have too much going on this week, other than school and work, so I hope it is quite uneventful. We have made some plans to spend some special family time together on Friday and Saturday and that will give us something to look forward to throughout the week.
Take care - Stay warm!
Dawn
Monday, January 5, 2009
Kids...Kids...Kids
I've been wanting to tell this story and thought I should do it before I forget it. Last week, I was at work and called home to see how things were going and Peyton was insisting that he talk to me, so David gave him the phone and he proceeded to tell me this story.
He said, momma - the phone rang and I answered and they said "Is Dawn Bass there?" I said, no Dawn Bass here - they said, can I talk to Dawn Bass and he said NO Dawn Bass here...who is Dawn Bass, no Dawn Bass here and then he said that he hung up on them. I think I'll let him answer all my calls. I just thought it was so funny, so when I got home I asked him who Dawn Bass was and he said - you! I mentioned to him that I thought he said who's Dawn Bass and he said, no momma, they said, they wanted to talk to Dawn Bass and he said very persistantly - Dawn Bass not here, Dawn Bass not here, Dawn Bass not here! Then hung up! Don't mess with Peyton!
This morning the boys were all getting ready for school and Hunter came up to me to tell me that his "pee-pee" hurt. I said, well, let me look at it - not sure what to expect, but figured it would be no big deal. I was surprised, because he was so swollen and red - I had never seen anything like it, so I called into work and got him an appointment at the clinic at work and took him in to get checked out. It was cute, we were in the car driving there and he knew we were going to where I work and he suddenly said to me, Mom, won't the people you work with be curious as to why I am here? I know he was worrying about it, but I let him know that we have our own doctor's office on site and that we would be going to that building, not into where I directly work. He seemed relieved about that. The doctor thought maybe he got bit, which we thought too as he looked like he had a bite, and he had cellulitus there. He's on antibiotics and missed his first day back to school as he had to ice that area on and off all day. Poor Hunter Bug!
This weekend Zach attended his catcher's camp out at Sports City in Blue Springs. This was his Christmas present from us and I think he learned alot. He went for four hours on Saturday morning and then two hours on Sunday. There were quite a few catchers there for the camp and I hope that it sticks with him by the time baseball season gets here.
The weather Saturday was so nice - I could not believe we had a 70 degree day in January! I had been a little down and out, so I was talking with my friend Lori and asked if she wanted to meet up for a little bit - we met for lunch - there isn't anything like a good visit with a friend to cheer you up! Thank you Lori for being such a great friend! I can always count on you!
After I got back home, the kids helped me clean out the car and give it a good winter cleaning and we got the inside all nice and clean and went over to the car wash to use the vaccuum and I am so happy with it. We rearranged the car seats - Tanner and Aubrey were moved to the very back and we moved the two boys up in the middle. We'll see how it goes with the rearrangement. I have to keep and eye on where I put Peyton, as he likes to pick on those who he sits next to - it's a never-ending battle!
Well, I think I've rambled on enough for tonight.
Until next time...
Dawn
He said, momma - the phone rang and I answered and they said "Is Dawn Bass there?" I said, no Dawn Bass here - they said, can I talk to Dawn Bass and he said NO Dawn Bass here...who is Dawn Bass, no Dawn Bass here and then he said that he hung up on them. I think I'll let him answer all my calls. I just thought it was so funny, so when I got home I asked him who Dawn Bass was and he said - you! I mentioned to him that I thought he said who's Dawn Bass and he said, no momma, they said, they wanted to talk to Dawn Bass and he said very persistantly - Dawn Bass not here, Dawn Bass not here, Dawn Bass not here! Then hung up! Don't mess with Peyton!
This morning the boys were all getting ready for school and Hunter came up to me to tell me that his "pee-pee" hurt. I said, well, let me look at it - not sure what to expect, but figured it would be no big deal. I was surprised, because he was so swollen and red - I had never seen anything like it, so I called into work and got him an appointment at the clinic at work and took him in to get checked out. It was cute, we were in the car driving there and he knew we were going to where I work and he suddenly said to me, Mom, won't the people you work with be curious as to why I am here? I know he was worrying about it, but I let him know that we have our own doctor's office on site and that we would be going to that building, not into where I directly work. He seemed relieved about that. The doctor thought maybe he got bit, which we thought too as he looked like he had a bite, and he had cellulitus there. He's on antibiotics and missed his first day back to school as he had to ice that area on and off all day. Poor Hunter Bug!
This weekend Zach attended his catcher's camp out at Sports City in Blue Springs. This was his Christmas present from us and I think he learned alot. He went for four hours on Saturday morning and then two hours on Sunday. There were quite a few catchers there for the camp and I hope that it sticks with him by the time baseball season gets here.
The weather Saturday was so nice - I could not believe we had a 70 degree day in January! I had been a little down and out, so I was talking with my friend Lori and asked if she wanted to meet up for a little bit - we met for lunch - there isn't anything like a good visit with a friend to cheer you up! Thank you Lori for being such a great friend! I can always count on you!
After I got back home, the kids helped me clean out the car and give it a good winter cleaning and we got the inside all nice and clean and went over to the car wash to use the vaccuum and I am so happy with it. We rearranged the car seats - Tanner and Aubrey were moved to the very back and we moved the two boys up in the middle. We'll see how it goes with the rearrangement. I have to keep and eye on where I put Peyton, as he likes to pick on those who he sits next to - it's a never-ending battle!
Well, I think I've rambled on enough for tonight.
Until next time...
Dawn
Friday, January 2, 2009
Happy New Years!
I had intended on writing a Happy New Year message yesterday, but just never got around to it. David and I stuck with our annual New Years Day tradition of watching the Rose Bowl parade and discussing how we would like to go in person some day. We decided that in reality, this probably will not happen until after our kids are grown. However, we are setting our sights on 2010 - to keep with the tradition of setting our sights on the next New Years. This is another one of those things that is on my list of things to do in my life - as was Times Square. Well, one thing down - so many to go!
With New Years comes the resolutions and I have made mine and I resolve to stick with them this year. The first thing on my list is to lose weight and I am taking the measures to get this going. I hope this isn't something that falls by the wayside, but I am really excited about getting started - and that is a huge start for me. I am thinking of keeping my own "weight-loss" blog to help keep me motivated. We'll see about that. I have also made a list of some other qualities that I would like to improve on. I hope that those closest to me will see these changes, although, they are subtle.
I have also resolved to continue sending out cards to families of soldiers who have lost their lives in the war. This is something that I started pretty heavily the beginning of 2008, but the past few months I have not done so well. I sent out around 100 cards in 2008 and hope to double that in 2009. I hope to find that 2009 for me will be rewarding in being able to bring a little comfort to others.
I had already posted this...but, just read one of the blogs that I follow faithfully and have for the past year or so - Shawndra Turner. She has cancer and it isn't sounding good. I sat here and cried after reading her last post. I have never met her, but I feel like I know her so well from following her life through her blog. She is a young mother of a beautiful little girl, Ella and I cannot imagine as a mother what she must be feeling knowing that she will not see her little girl grow up. My prayers go out to Shawndra, Doug and Ella and their entire family and I would like to ask for your prayers on their behalf.
I hope everyone had a great New Years and wish everyone the best in 2009!
Dawn
With New Years comes the resolutions and I have made mine and I resolve to stick with them this year. The first thing on my list is to lose weight and I am taking the measures to get this going. I hope this isn't something that falls by the wayside, but I am really excited about getting started - and that is a huge start for me. I am thinking of keeping my own "weight-loss" blog to help keep me motivated. We'll see about that. I have also made a list of some other qualities that I would like to improve on. I hope that those closest to me will see these changes, although, they are subtle.
I have also resolved to continue sending out cards to families of soldiers who have lost their lives in the war. This is something that I started pretty heavily the beginning of 2008, but the past few months I have not done so well. I sent out around 100 cards in 2008 and hope to double that in 2009. I hope to find that 2009 for me will be rewarding in being able to bring a little comfort to others.
I had already posted this...but, just read one of the blogs that I follow faithfully and have for the past year or so - Shawndra Turner. She has cancer and it isn't sounding good. I sat here and cried after reading her last post. I have never met her, but I feel like I know her so well from following her life through her blog. She is a young mother of a beautiful little girl, Ella and I cannot imagine as a mother what she must be feeling knowing that she will not see her little girl grow up. My prayers go out to Shawndra, Doug and Ella and their entire family and I would like to ask for your prayers on their behalf.
I hope everyone had a great New Years and wish everyone the best in 2009!
Dawn
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