The Week After Christmas

The weather has stayed warm, the kids are well and Owen even slept after 6 most days this week! WOW , we had a fun week, playing in the yard, doing a little cleaning and just relaxing!

This is the lizard that Caitlin caught outside

She is such a little naturalist. About 30 minutes after this picture the lizard bites her and I hear her scream! Funny

A trip to the Aquarium with Grandma was fun fun fun. Owen check out the otters. He loves the fish love loves loves them!

This was really funny, this a projector that projects water and fish on the floor and the fish move around. We had to tell Owen it was okay to get it because he thought it was real. Then when he stepped out he sat down and felt his shoes and couldn't figure out why they weren't wet! SO FUNNY!

Caitlin you are cute!

We made lots of trips to Grandma's house for dinner, so fun to be able to walk and well you know what that means!

Drink lots of wine!!! Thanks Grandma!

Took the kids to the Wildlife Sanctuary just up the street, Caitlin pet the opossum ew yuck, its fur was actually soft.

We took a Trip to Fort Macon to check it out. Caitlin said it was " not cool" " just boy stuff"!

This kid looks just like his daddy! Cutie pies!

Christmas 2011

We had another amazing Christmas. The kids got over their colds just in time and everyone was happy and healthy! We got to spend time with our family and friends! Thanks so much for all the wonderful gifts. I missed the pictures on Christmas eve as I plugged my camera in to charge and then misplaced the battery ughhh. .. I have pics on my iphone but need to download them so maybe someday. Christmas Eve was spent at Granny's house with the gang.. Aunt Caren, Claire , Carlie and Grayson and then we met Grandma, Grandpa , Aunt Ali and Uncle Troy back at the Priechenfried house. Christmas morning was exciting. I just don't know what we would do without Uncle Troy taking everything out of boxes and putting batteries in everything. Nathan got two remote controlled planes and one car this year all air hogs... w


Caitlin got a new bike from Santa!

Owen liked his Fisher Price Train.

Look a boat in my stocking! Boats are Owen's favorite he screams every time one goes by.

Caitlin got the movie Dolphin Tale a favorite!!!

Aunt Ali and Owen.

Caitlin presents her gifts to Aunt Ali and Grandma, she painted everyone.

Nathan opens a pogo stick!

Nate's favorite, Black hawk blue sky. It takes pictures and videos. The boys headed out and had fun playing with it Christmas day.

Caitlin's favorite toys this year were pillow pets. She got a mini pillow pet from Grandma and a big pillow pet from Uncle Bob. I had to take 5 or 6 picture here because they were all blurry she was so excited she was jumping up and down!


The kids got so many awesome gifts, they really do like them all.

A little Christmas Beyblade competition.

OH Christmas Tree Oh Christmas Tree!

Here is our tree. The kids are so excited!

Owen loves the train! He loves it when Nate and Cait run it for him!

It has been a week spent with family and friends celebrating and maybe a little drinking! I need to do a better job of removing beer bottles from the picture frames. BAD MOM!!!!!

UUghhh that Beer bottle again!

Oh look a wine glass and a beer bottle hahaha. As you can see the only way we stay sane during the holiday season is to drink copious amounts of alcohol. As I was in Food Lion yesterday filling my cart with wine, I got a few stares. Whats wrong with buying wine by the cart ??????

Good Times!!!!!

Caitlin getting ready to make some Christmas cookies. I forgot the after picture!

Caitlin wrapping presents, she is so determined. She did it all by herself. Why in a wetsuit you ask. Well you never know when you might go swimming , I guess...

All done. I lover her zest, she just makes me laugh. Today we had a moment but I was to exhausted to do the right thing so I will tell you how I totally messed up parenting. I noticed Owen's stocking was sitting on top of the mantle because it was ripped. I asked the kids if they ripped it down. Of course it was " NOT ME"! I know it was Caitlin because Nate could care less about a stocking and Owen could not have put it back and Caitlin has taken quite an interest in the stockings. So I say Caitlin did you rip the stocking down and then put it back. " Oh no mommy I think an elf might have done it" Mom says " Caitlin elves are short so I don't think they could put it back on the mantle" Caitlin " Well Mom I think the tree grew an arm and did it because Daddy watered the tree so it grew an arm and put the stocking back on the mantle" .... At that point I just said Oh and walked away. I decided the story was so good I would teach a lesson another day. Today I was to tired to care!

Oh they are so cute. Owen I love taking your picture because pictures are quiet and you are not!

These are the three kids that I took out to get hair cuts, groceries and the post office today. Upon getting to the shopping center I realize we only have three of the six shoes we needed. UGHHH Really Caitlin you forgot your shoes!!!!! I was not going back I was on a mission. When we left the grocery store I gave the kids $ to put in the Salvation Army bucket. The guy wished Caitlin a Merry Christmas and said " I hope Santa brings you some shoes". Owen lost one shoe on the way out the door. Oh well tomorrow is a new day!

The Cousins make a Gingerbread village.

Nice!

Hanging with the cousins!

Merry Christmas 2011!

Here are some pictures that didn't make the Priechenfried Christmas card this year. Getting Owen to stand still is much like getting a cat to preform on command!

Owen sees a boat I am sure, his favorite.

Coughing Bells, Coughing Guns!!!!

Nathan said he wanted to look nice for his Christmas party! Oh he is such a good kid! We have so much fun!

Opening our presents from Nathan at his party.
He made us many nice ornaments!

Caitlin gives Lindsay her present. She found it at the dollar store it said "#1 Baby sitter" Oh she is the best without her where would I be. She really loves Owen now that's an awesome sitter!!!

Nate gets a Lego Ninjago from Lindsay..... how did she know!!!

As you can see from the title it was a week of cough, at one point as Carl and I lay in bed deciding which kid needed our assistance. Owen was croupee and Nathan was the usual I said it sounds like they are doing it in unison. Owen was pretending he was getting a breathing treatment. Too funny! He can't figure out what that loud machine does but since his brother needs it he must need it to!

Caitlin makes reindeer cookies at her Christmas party!

Nathan crashed Caitlin's school party!

Oh OWEN!!! Well as you can see he is consistently pointing. And we always know where he is because he screams constantly . He is now waving to say Hi and I even caught it in the next photo. I am working with him more trying to get him make vowel sounds. The speech teacher says repetition repetition . He was evaluated and diagnosed with developmental speech disorder, Severe Expressive language and vocabulary impairment, Severe Receptive Language impairment; Severe articulation impairment and possible motor impairment Severe Expressive and Receptive Language Impairments, and the list goes on. That is what they have to write to get insurance to pay for it I am guessing! They did evaluate him and on the Preschool Language Scale which measure expressive communication and auditory comprehension an average score ranges from 85-115, he got a 30. For children his age this puts him in the moderately-severely below average range. On the MacArthur Communicative Developmental Inventory he was assessed at <5th percentile. Normative data suggest he should use approximately 120 words and use 1.62 words in a sentence on average. Owen indicates a severe vocabulary deficit.

Okay so am I am worried , nope not really I just want him to stop screaming and talk because it would make things easier and quieter around here. I realize he is the third child and a boy and in due time he may catch up on his own. Bottom line is at 2 Nate started preschool so I am looking at this like Owen's preschool. Once a week he gets to play with really really really cool toys. Oh man they have the best toys there, imagine every cool Fisher Price toy you played with as a child. Ms. Mary gives him her undivided attention and he seems to be responding. Not with words but he is starting to communicate. He says Hi and waves consistently now! We practice things like sitting in the waiting room in chairs on our bottom and holding hands in parking lots. It is a few hours of Owen time. Caitlin comes along but she is my helper! Oh did I mention there is an awesome new organic market right next to speech HAHAHAH! I am going to give this 6 months and see how it goes. If he consistently makes improvement we will stop , if not we will increase to twice a week.

Our goals in speech:

1) Owen to use 5 words to request wants or needs.

2) Owen to imitate at least 5 simple sounds (owl, ow, wee).

Okay so here we go lets hope we laugh about this in 6 months!!!!!

Owen waiving "Hi" on command!