Bright and Sunny

Some evenings when I don't get to run because of soccer or piano I do exercise videos. Everyone likes to join in so Dad got everyone their own weights. I must admit at times I like to do it alone it gets a little crowded but it is so cute! We WORKOUT! Speaking of working out it took me 12 months but I am finally back to my pre Nathan birth weight of 130 pounds. Yep I got to welcome back those size 6 jeans! Loosing it was hard, keeping it off may be harder! Wish me luck!

Caitlin has been practicing for her recital so far she told me she knows the end and she did a pli`a , (spelling?) ughh we have a long way to go in 6 weeks!

Everyone is waiting for the big bunny, Catlin has a bunny that plays here comes peter Cotton tail and she has a routine the preforms. It is a adorable!

This week at Nathans school the music teacher put on a 1st grade going green program. I contacted the teacher prior to the performance and helped her with the program so I felt like I made a difference, I hope! I try to get involved and help at Nathans school as much as I can unfortunately everything is always during Owens nap time but as Owen gets older and Caitlin enters kindergarten I hope to be able to help more.

Owen using a screw driver to fix his digger. This kid is all boy. Well since I opted out of Early Intervention I decided on Monday it was time. Time for me to get Owen talking! Now you all know patience is not one of my strong points so when I decided it was time to get him talking it was time. I contacted Nate's old feeding therapist and told her I wanted to increase his speech to twice a week and I wanted the best speech therapist in town. She works at the office were we are currently doing speech and had no idea we had been going since November. She has the same type A get it done personality and by the next afternoon Owen's speech was increased to twice a week and we have now welcomed Becky into our circle. Unfortunately, I didn't get to meet her because it was during my Environmental Science class and I was taking them to the beach that day. Carl was able to take him and things went very well. We saw immediate results! Owen has words now, not just sounds but real words, he is saying Two and Hi. He is also saying sounds like ewww, haa and baa. I know if you have a talking two year old you are thinking so what but trust me this is big and I think its a sign that we are on our way. We only have a few more weeks of soccer and we are going to try to keep up our regular routine and do speech twice a week so I wouldn't expect a blog post of more than once a week but I will try. Until then it is Owen time or as I like to call it Operation GOT (Get Owen Talking)! Finally we have a great therapist and we are seeing improvement and so its so much easier to work at home when you know what to do!

Pinewood Derby

Owen loves to cook and he has to put on his oven mitts. I think he is trying to bake lima beans in the toaster oven. Toasted lima beans are his favorite.... weird!Okay so he might need to spend a little more time with his father, but I am teaching him to be good husband he can sweep and talk on the phone.

Nathan bottom center at the Pinewwood Derby . He got third place but it wasn't fair. There was a bit of confusion so his car didn't race as often as it should have but who cares, he didn't notice and I have no idea who really won.

He loved making his car with his Dad

Owen at the Pinewood Derby yes those are purple dora sunglasses upside down and crooked.

Here is the smile you get when you tell Owen to smile.

Well its warm yippeee!

Third place... well sort of!!!!

Brrrrrr its Cold!!!!

Well I have a new rule when one kid shows the signs of a cold from here on out, everyone must immediately kiss so we can get it over with. I am over this little cold that has caused an ear infection in both of my boys and has persisted in this house for what feels like weeks oh wait it has been weeks!!! Nathan finished his antibiotics today and Owen started his yesterday. As my wise sister in law says, "White boys are wimpy"! Okay boys you are all on the mend so let mommy and daddy get some sleep!!!!! Spring I am so excited you are just two weeks away, and I will set my clocks ahead this weekend OHHHH I can't wait, I am going to have a welcome Spring party!!!!! Spring cleaning, spring shopping, spring clothes, sunshine on my shoulders, walks on a warm sunny day, running in a t-shirt, going to Florida for Spring Break, cocktails with the girls,.... MOM can't wait, now if only my throat wasn't on fire!!!

Owen turned TWO!

The Oyster Roast/Owen birthday party! The oysters were so yummy , it was good times had by all.

Owen just ate the icing off the cupcake!

Toys from granny!

Owen opens a present from mom the next day he really put his body into it! HAHAHAH

Present from Aunt Caren, thanks aunt Caren!

Presents from Grandma Poe!

Yummy on my birthday mom made me my favorite spaghetti and meatballs with an ice cream Sunday for dessert! Yummy! Happy Birthday big guy we love you lots!!!!!

Well a few days late on the birthday post but things have been crazy busy. I know busy is relative you make time for what you want but lets face it there are only 24 hours in the day! Nathan was sick last week and just when he turned the corner Owen got it. Carl and I have also come to realization okay maybe I came to the realization that we have now found how much is too much and here we are. Two parents working oh did I mention that Carl has two jobs now which take up more time then when he proposed this option to me in August. Carl's commute to both of his jobs are well over an hour if you count the enter and exit time to the fortress or whatever I should call it! Also Carl is Nathan's soccer coach, Caitlin is on a soccer team. We are still at piano and boyscouts and well there you have it everything is fine until the kids get sick and then mom gets no sleep and then the wheels fall off the bus! This week I can say I have been exhausted here are a few of the conversations: Mom Owen will not stop crying . I say give him a lollipop. But mom he already had one, I don't care give him two more! Mom I didn't brush my teeth um okay well we are going to the dentist next week they will take care of it teeth are over rated! I think everyone is on the mend and if mom ever gets a few good nights of sleep all will be well again in the world and we can brush teeth and go grocery shopping and talk about the good times hahahaha!

Okay so Owen had a great birthday party /Oyster Roast. I didn't really tell anyone that it was a birthday party because I didn't want a million presents that Owen would ignore and then proceed to break. Although he got a few presents and Nathan and Caitlin are enjoying them!

Owen did finish his evaluations and he did qualify for Early Intervention although after considering all the pros and cons we decided to decline it. He is already recieving services through his primary care provider and well putting a tag on a two year old that will follow him through his entire education has implications so for now we will wait and just see how it goes. I know I know everyone has advice and thanks to all my friends for their long conversations this week, Erin, Lisa, Blythe, Janelle, Amber! Thanks girls I love ya!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Funny Story

I know I know I need to post the pictures from Owen's birthday but we have a house of sick kids and I have not has a free second so I promise I will tonight... maybe! Anyway for the past few days Nate has brought home library books from school. For homework he is supposed to read two chapters from books in his classroom but he usually has no problem just reading the entire book so the kids goes through books. Last night I asked him why he had library books on non library days and he said that he has read all the books in the classroom and they are not hard so Ms. Mcguyer said if I was bored with the ones I have already read twice I could go to the library and get books. HAHAHAHAH that a boy read all the books in the school before you finish 1st grade!!!! ..... I can relate I remember being so bored at times in school. I did the second grade twice and the fourth grade twice..... Back then they called them split classes but you did the same thing two years in a row.

Almost TWO!!!!

Sometimes I just run like a crazy man in circles around the house, and I laugh the entire time!

Watch out here I come!

Tight turn!

Get out of my way lady!

Hiding in the pantry is fun, doesn't bother me that I can't reach the light, nope I am not afraid of anything!

Just look at those blue eyes, and those muscles I workout!

Well I wanted to do a post every day this week about Owen but I just forgot to take my camera. Yesterday we had a great time going for a run and then we found a pile of hay and the daffodils are in full bloom but the camera was sitting on the desk. Oh well, maybe this afternoon.

Here are some pictures of one of Owens favorite games, its called run in circles as fast as he can for no apparent reason at all.

One foot in front of the other!

We did pizza night on Friday night with Janelle and Jason . The kids love it when Bryn and Morgan sleep over! Waffles for breakfast!

Caitlin getting ready for school. She has decided to let her bangs grow out, wish us luck!

The kids watching t.v. before bed!

Watching the hermit crab!

Nathan lost his front tooth!

He is getting so tall!

Its been busy around here but nothing exciting. Its been feeling like winter here of course because soccer started last week. Oh how I hate to sit outside in the cold! Spring can you please hurry I am tired of waiting. Nathan lost his front tooth last weekend.. picture to follow! I meet Ali and Troy in Chapel Hill last weekend to visit Alice she has been sick lately and had a few really close calls but she is on the mend and I am counting the days until Friday so I can go visit again. Owen will finish his early intervention testing this week. I just keep hoping that he is just a late talker like all the stories I hear of kids who wait. Unfortunately, I have this gut instinct and 9 out 10 times its usually right. So I will go with my gut and get him all the help I can until we figure it out or he decides to talk. His speech therapist thinks it may be Speech Apraxia which is tough to hear but glass half full it could always be worse or we could be wrong! You really can't make a diagnosis until age three. He's got that smile that melts my heart and even though he is so much work he is awesome! Carl has been amazing this week mom got a little down about it all last week with speech, audiologist, early intervention I was tired and didn't really know if it was worth it, if we even needed it ugghhh but we have a plan and Carl took Owen to speech last Friday so mom could have a free morning. I cleaned the house and it was so much fun!!!! This week I will hit the dentist with Nathan and then the following week it will be Owen's 24 month appointment, and Caitlin's shots for kindergarten AHHHHHH and then Carl will head to New Bern with Owen for his last evaluation for early intervention. It makes me tired just thinking about it! Enjoy the pictures and stay tuned!

Good Job Nathan

Nathan got his second report card of first grade and he did great. He really didn't have much room for improvement but he is now above grade level in reading, writing and spelling and at grade level in math. His grade equivalent score is 4.1 which means he is comparable to those of an average fourth grader in the first month of school. He also received a national Percentile Rank of 99. Which means he scored greater than 99% of students nationally in the same grade..... so what do I have say AHHHHAHHHH the college fund is looking rather small these days!!!Keep up the good work Nathan and you better get a scholarship because mommy is going shopping tomorrow!!!

Star light, star bright!

As we were leaving piano lessons tonight riding in the car through the sound of the radio, Owen screaming and Nathan asking me if he could play with my iphone one hundred times I heard a faint whisper in the back seat. It was Caitlin she was singing star light star bright first star I see tonight. She was singing it softly and peacefully and as I looked out of the corner of my eye I saw the star. I let her sing it a few times hoping I could remember this memory forever and I asked her "Caitlin what are you wishing for" Her response " I want to go for a ride on a horse". Well we might just have to do that again real soon. Thanks Caitlin for making me smile and for just being you! I hope no matter what you always remember to wish upon the stars!
Love Mom!

Mini- Vacation

We busted Nathan out of school at noon on Friday and headed down to Myrtle beach for a mini-vacation over the long weekend. This was the view from the room. It was too cold for the beach but we found plenty to keep us busy and had a great time.

Nathan check out the kids bedroom! Nathan is happy as long as he doesn't share a bed with Caitlin and I totally understand . Sharing a bed with Caitlin is like trying to sleep on a trampoline with three two year olds on it.

Funny story. On the way to the beach Carl asks me about our hotel room. This place has an awesome indoor water park, actually two, its half the distance as Great Wolf Lodge and 1/4 of the price so it was an awesome find!!!! I was reading my confirmation email to Carl, I told him we had a two beedroom condo, one beedroom with a king and one with two queens. etc.... When we got there Caitlin walked in and said, Mommy and I are sleeping with the Queens. Daddy, Nathan and Owen can sleep with the king! Too Funny.. I had to explain to her that there were no real Kings and Queens in our room that is just how you describe the size of the bed. The room was awesome with two bathrooms and a big jacuzzi to warm everyone in after a trip back from the water park. Carl enjoyed all three t.v.'s so no football was missed not to mention trips to the bar for more beer when we ran out.

Owen and Dad check out eh submarine. Caitlin is on the right side. There were water slids in every park but I had to hold Owen so I never got a picture.

Nathan and Caitlin watching the big bucket fill with water.... uh oh watch out!

This is what happens ... fun fun!

Hi Mom this is fun!!!!

Each waterpark had a couple of pools and play structures. There was something for everyone. The best part, it was warm warm warm. The kids were comfortable in just bathing suits.

No trip to the beach would be complete without a new pet hermit crab!

Water park number 2 with a lazy river. That is Nate on the left swimming around. I wish I had a pic of all three kids riding on the dolphins it was so cute.

There was a splash area just Owen's size if he fell down he could touch and get back up.

Look I made it!

Mom this is so fun!

Nate enjoyed playing fusball. There were other activities in the water parks, magic shows and the kids made tie dye shirts.

A happy ending to happy day!

Water parks make tired kids!!!!1

Back into the swing of things!

I was using a flashlight to look at Nate's tooth. Owen just came out of nowhere and smashed a car into his face. He knocked out one of his baby teeth. Nathan is just so nice to Owen. He is so kind and gentle with him and Owen well he is very kind now if he could just figure out the gentle part. After Owen smashed his tooth he gave him a hug and blew kisses and even cried while he cried but geez Owen do you have to be so rough!

Look Mom my teeth are fine!

So warm we even had a water balloon fight last weekend! This crazy weather!

Wow where does the time go! We have been getting back into our school routine. Enjoying our free evenings before soccer gets started in a few weeks. Right now we just have piano and boy scouts. Everyone is doing well. Caitlin had a cold last week but after a few days out of school and rest is doing much better. Nathan ran a fever all day yesterday but is doing much better today and Owen oh Owen. Owen is doing much better in many areas!!!! I wish we could reset his wake up clock past 6 am but I really can't complain because Carl gets up with him most (all ) of the time on the weekends so I can get ready for the week ahead. I did get up with him once this year but not sure that once counts! Owen is starting to communicate ! Yippee. We have been teaching him sign language and his favorite and our favorite is help please. When he starts screaming and pulling at our leg we just say Owen help please and he he redirects to sign and ahhh its so nice. He also started saying boat! He has had the b sound for a while and in speech and at home we have a box filled with things that start with the letter b. Many times a day we review the b box so time will tell. Owen and I have ENT appointments this week. We are just going to check Owen's hearing, we all know I am deaf so lets help the doctor can finally get the fluid out of both of my hears and I can get out of the cave I have been living in since August. I can't wait to hear again!!!!!!