Swimming Lessons - The End of The Beginning

The 8 week session of summer swimming lessons is over. Both girls had quite a lot of fun going to lessons each week. So much fun that they want to do it again. Enrollment for fall lessons comes soon and we'll be there.

Their last class was Sunday evening where their regular teacher, Jennie, wasn't there. They liked Jennie a lot, as did the other kids in the class. Their stand in teacher was "A BOY, oh and his name was Matt". While it took a little warming up, they were okay to proceed with lessons from Matt. In their class of six students, there is only one boy. The rest of the girls in the class appeared to be equally apprehensive about a new boy teacher, but the boy in the class was beaming from ear to ear. He (the little boy) was way cute!

After class they received their certificate that says they passed the class and can enroll in Level 1. YAY girls!!! The girls were mostly concerned with the way their teacher decorated each of their certificates and suggested next time she (the teacher) should use different colors. That is what is really important here!

While we are excited and proud that they passed their class and can officially move into the next level, we are seriously considering re-enrolling them in the same level for the 1st fall session. At enrollment we'd also enroll them in Level 1 for the 2nd fall session.

We think they could use some more practice on these beginning skills (geared towards kids ages 3-5) and meeting more frequently (twice a week) will help them feel more confident. We hope that a 4 week confidence booster will serve them well going into a more challenging class.

We don't think the girls will know the difference, they'll just know that they are taking swimming lessons. I hope our plan works!

Just That Good

Spencer knows the sign for more. He can do it but in most instances he chooses not to. He prefers the grunt and reach method. We are so ready to be over the grunt and reach method!

Yesterday though he decided that there was something good enough to sign for. That something was crushed ice cubes.

Until last Sunday, we didn't have crushed ice cubes in our house. But thanks to Grandpa and Grandma bringing us our new (used) refrigerator, we now do. Sure, we could have crushed our own ice cubes had we known just how much he liked them. But we didn't know. The boy loves them, as does his Mommy.

Thank you Grandpa & Grandma!

Our Very Own Veruca

Seems that we have our very own Veruca Salt (Willy Wonka) residing in our household.

While I don't believe that Abby is "a spoiled brat, whose parents treat her like a princess and give her anything she wants, no matter how ridiculous the price or how outrageous the item is."

She does have the "but I want it now" down to a T.

Kick That Virus!

I think we all are starting to feel better. We may even have a healthy weekend. YAY for small miracles!

Carie seemed to come through this one unscathed. Unscathed only by the virus. She was such a great Mommy and a great caregiver that she took it in the shorts in other ways. That sort of healing takes longer than shedding a virus! I didn't get hit too badly. I had some long nights along with Carie and ended up with a touch of the respiratory stuff. Amazing how vulnerable your body becomes when you are up all hours of the night holding and comforting the child/ren housing the virus!

Spencer is leading the pack, as he did with the illness, and now in recovery. They boy is sleeping well again and is his usual happy self. Ellie did catch the upper respiratory stuff as well, but didn't seem to get hit quite as hard. She's got a small lingering cough that we hope is gone soon too. Abby though ended up with a good dose of the respiratory stuff. Poor girl sounds like she's hacking up a lung, or two. Thankfully the cough medicine is helping quiet the cough and make her comfortable. Unfortunately though, her excessive drainage found its way to her ears and decided to form an infection that woke her in pain Wednesday night. Of course this is in the ear that has no tube. Thankfully the tube that is in place is working! We shouldn't be all that surprised. Abby has a long history of ear troubles. I had just wished she'd outgrow them. Instead, this is looking more favorable for another round of tubes.

Sometimes people look at us like we must be doing something wrong. Somehow we are throwing our kids in front of the virus hoping it will stick. Yep, our kids get sick a lot it seems. Though after talking with the Ped and other parents, we are reminded that it is pretty normal for kids to get sick. Our Ped fully expected to see us more often with Spencer being such a young guy and the girls' being the age they are and involved in school, etc... Not the best of combinations in this sense. And really, what are we to do... ignore it? Life stops when the wee ones are sick. You hang back, kick the virus, regroup, and move on.

I’m looking forward to a weekend of recovery. We definitely need to heal the mind, body, and soul.

The No Shots Story - The Legalities

If it were a typical 4 year well check the girls would have been slated for shots on Friday. New recommendations suggest giving the Hep A series. That is what the girls would have received.

However, my understanding after talking with our Ped on Friday is that this is a recommendation, not a "requirement". I use the term requirement to identify the way the system is handling the vaccine. We know several families who are choosing to not vaccinate, either at all or selectively. For our family, we've been following the Ped's recommended vaccine schedule.

However, there are two factors that derailed the plan. One factor is that Ellie showed signs of a low grade temp just before going to the appointment Friday afternoon. With any fever present, no shots! We had the choice to vaccinate Abby or wait. It didn't matter to me so I gave Abby the choice to get her shot that day or wait until Ellie got her shot. Abby chose to wait.

But then we discovered that the girls weren't eligible for the series of shots under our insurance. They could get the shots and our Ped would administer them, but insurance wouldn't cover it until it became "required". Oh, and essentially it isn't "required" because of $$ and the budget. Also remember that this is a series of shots and we are talking two kiddos at once.

This second factor is what I really want to write about. The girls are covered under State insurance "Kids Connection". Now, this insurance has been awesome... beyond awesome! I couldn't ever ask for any better insurance than this. I wish my insurance was this good! Heck, I wish everyone had this insurance! Except, it only covers the girls. It also does not cover recommended treatments, just those required by the government. And the government makes its requirements with the budget in mind.

And so this is where I'm sure I hear... "just be grateful you have insurance" or "I can't believe you are taking advantage of the system" or "buy your own damn insurance" or or or.... Yeah, I don't talk about this much because it is a touchy subject. Everyone has their own opinions. It doesn't matter if you are gay or straight, everyone has opinions that vary from supportive to blasphemous.

What about everyday people of society, people who have these benefits, push for people who do not have these benefits? Vast majority and numbers really make a difference as to who listens! For our family, it isn't about the term "marriage"; it is about taking care of your family and all of the benefits and resources that become available to "married" couples. Many folks have no idea what benefits become available to them when they sign that marriage certificate. A certificate produced by the government, not our Church. I would absolutely be legally married to Carie if that option existed in our normal life. Until then, we are connected spiritually! Just this past week our great state has reinstated the ban on gay marriage. This has battled back and forth since 2000. Six years and it feels like we are back to nothing.

See, not only do I have the option of having a family insurance policy through work; I actually am paying for it just like everyone else. But I do not have the option of it covering my entire family. Each enrollment period I bring it up, I ask. Nope, they have to be my "legal" dependants to be eligible. Not just dependants on my taxes (which they are) but "legal" dependants. There is a difference! Meaning Carie has no shot of being covered, until we are legally married in the state we reside, and Carie would have to sever 100% of her legal rights to the girls for me to adopt them. Oh, and aside from that being ridiculous, figure in the astronomical adoption costs so that they would still only have one legal parent. All this is legal talk, we know and more importantly they know that they have two loving parents.

Most of all because the wonderful state in which we live, heck even the Country in which we live, doesn't want to recognize that our family exits or that our children exist and thrive in such a household. Some States, more specifically some Counties allow 2nd parent adoptions. Sometimes it is as specific as to what judge you get in which County. Most people would be appalled to know what some folks have to go through to complete a 2nd parent adoption which then covers the legalities and provides benefits to the children. This is absolutely not an option in our great state, in any county within the state, or with any judge within the state. We would have to move away from family for it to become an option to us.

So... society pays. Everyone pays for that choice by families like mine who "use" the system to take care of their families. Sure, we could go get a private policy to cover Carie and the girls. Last time we looked, which has been a few years, it was extremely unaffordable and the coverage was unacceptable. Remember, at the time we were looking for independent coverage for two infants and all that went along with well child coverage. I'd much rather contribute that money towards life insurance for Carie and education plans for the girls, which we do.

Carie and I will discuss whether or not to pursue the Hep A series for the girls. We will pay out of pocket if we make that choice. We will do what we feel is best for our children. But, the point really is that the system is messed up. The hard working people of society shouldn't have to pay for my kids’ health care when I am fully willing and already am paying for it through my employer.

This is the first time this discussion has come up with our Ped. She realized/remembered that we have "Kids Connection" and therefore weren't eligible for insurance to cover the series of shots. We had a really great discussion. We've always felt accepted in that office. In the initial interview process over 4 years ago they said that they were fine with our family structure. We felt that they meant it. We have felt nothing but acceptance and normalcy every time we are there. I've never felt judged! But on this day, our Ped had a few other things to say. She shared her views about how ridiculous it is that we aren't able to be recognized as a legal family. How ridiculous it is that we have to have multiple insurance policies, which still doesn't cover all of our family members. I felt that what she said came from her heart. It was wonderful to hear that she really truly got it. Some people think they get it yet they clearly don't.

She does "get it" and it is heartwarming.

The Tales Of Bodily Fluids

We've discovered that our girls are still pukers through and through. When they get sick this is how their body responds. People are always floored by how frequently they puke. For us, it seems to be a way of life.

Although... we have now discovered that Spencer is not a puker. Hooray!!! No bodily fluids from him. The tradeoff is really high temps. Fortunately they were able to be kept under control with the standard Tylenol and Motrin cocktail. We now know how to alternate them effectively if needed. We've never needed to know this before as whatever went in was guaranteed to come out.

High points...

It's 3:30 Saturday morning...
Ellie: Comes to the top of the stairs and is crying and coughing
Carie: Hears Ellie at the top of the stairs and checks on her
Ellie: "I'm throwing up!"
Carie: Quick, to the bathroom
**they do their thing in the bathroom**
Carie goes to clean up what didn't make it to the bathroom.
Ellie: "You can clean up the spotty stuff later Mommy"
Carie: "I'm just cleaning up the chunks so I don't step in them"

At some point in the night I ended up with Spencer who was having yet another night of waking every 1/2 hour. While I was gone Ellie ended up claiming my spot. Might as well, I never made it back to bed. Ellie sleeps in until at least 11:00 AM. She comes wandering out of our room with hair that is really crazy and says to me "I just took a good nap". That was so freaking cute! All day long, when she wasn't sleeping, she would say the funniest things.

Saturday night at bedtime...
We tuck the girls into bed and give each of them buckets "just in case".
Ellie says "I don't need to throw up; I already threw up last year!"
Me: I hope you don't need to throw up again, but this bucket is here just in case.
Ellie: Okay Momma
Abby: "I can't reach the bucket" (which is right next to her but clearly not positioned right)

The after bedtime calls...
Ellie: "Mommy... Mommy... Mommy..."
Carie goes to see what is going on
Ellie: "I didn't throw up Mommy. Will you wipe my nose please?"

Ellie: "Mommy... Mommy... Mommy..."
Carie goes to see what is going on (I'm on deck next)
Ellie: "Mommy we need new water in the vaporizor. I can't see it"
Carie: I put new water in it already. It is already to go for tonight.

Abby: "Mommy... Mommy... Mommy..." (at least they are staying in bed)
My turn... I go and check to see what is up.
Abby: "I was calling for Mommy"
Me: I know, Mommy is resting. I'm here to help, what can I do?
Abby: "No, I need to give Mommy a hug and a kiss."
Me: I would love a hug and a kiss. Could you give me a hug and a kiss?
Abby: "Yes, but I still want to give Mommy a hug and a kiss."
Me: Okay Abby
Ellie: "I wan't a hug and a kiss too."
I give hugs and kisses all around and inform Carie that she is still wanted upstairs.

The 4 Year Well Check

The girls had their 4 year well check today, finally. Both of them are doing wonderfully!

Our Pediatrician, who we really love, walked in to the room to find Ellie with a stuffed bear balancing on her head. I forget what Ellie said, but the Ped cracked up laughing. She said that 4 is her favorite age. Outside of being on the shy side, they entertained her.

They even got to wear gowns, a first for them. They thought it was pretty cool! No problems deciding who wore wich one. Ellie quickly picked the blue one and Abby eagerly picked the purple one. Whew! Though, Abby kept trying to put it on backwards. Her logic made complete sense to me. Those lovely gowns are all backwards anyways.

The Ped checked each girl out from head to toe. While she was examining one girl I would work with the other one on the developmental screening questionnaire. It all went rather smoothly!

I was pleasantly surprised that we were able to circle “yes” to all but two of the questions on the questionnaire geared towards 4-6 year olds. There was one common question and one unique question that ended up as a “no” for each girl. Some of the questions seemed way out of the range for their age. I’d ask Abby a question and she’d look at me like I was nuts. Her non-verbal response was “are you seriously asking me what color that is?” and my non-verbal response was “yes sweetie, just tell me what color this is and we can move on”.

No shots today but there was a finger prick for the lead test. They were troopers!

Stats:
Abby - 34lbs and 39"
Ellie - 36lbs and 40 1/4"

Sickies

Last Sunday Spencer woke with a 104 degree temp. We found out that he ended up with a viral throat infection that just had to run its course. As it was running its course it seemed like things weren't getting better as they should. Finally last night things seemed to make a turn for the better. What a blessing!

This afternoon Carie was finally able to get a good look in his mouth. We've been trying but the boy just isn't interested in us having anything to do with his mouth. I don't blame him! We also figured that it just hurts and we didn't need to know more than that.

So finally this afternoon he was wailing about something which put him at the perfect angle for Carie to get a good look in his mouth. What she found was a Molar coming in. Intrigued, a bit later she managed a better look to find that four Molar's are coming in. Ouch!

Now we are thinking that Ellie is coming down with Spencer’s virus. Time will tell!

Lion Speak

Spencer is in a phase of experimenting with words and sounds. He is very interested in the words and sounds we say and then attempts to repeat it himself. I love hearing his voice as he attempts to repeat what he has heard.

When we read a book or watch his show (Baby Newton) that has a lion in it, he will roar like a lion. Though, his roar isn't a fierce roar. Carie calls it more of curious roar.

Our boy, the curious lion.

Vacation Pictures

Vacation pictures are finally up! Quite a few to look at, but far fewer than the 570 we took. Not to mention whatever T&D took with their cameras.

I know, I know, there aren't any of me. I'm primarily behind the camera! Then there is the privilege of getting to choose to not post any of the one's with me present. Though I'm sure that T will get revenge for the family pic I did post.

Scroll down and enjoy!

Day One - Friends Reunited

Big kids... reunited at last. Left to right Abby, E, Ellie.












Baby A enjoying Spencer's pool... while Spencer snoozes.












Being silly in the pool and catching some air...

















E being goofy...

Day Two

SAC Museum...

Day Three

Morrill Hall...













Children's Zoo:

Three Eagles...












Baby Dinosaur's...

Day Four

Henry Doorly Zoo...














Let me slip you a choking hazard!!!












The leaf was too exciting!

Day Five - The Finale

Iron Horse Park...

Vacationing

Well, sort of. While we didn't leave home it will probably be the "family vacation" of the summer. I took some time off of work and Carie took some time off from the kids she cares for. At the end of our 5 days I know I felt the vacation exhaustion. While I love to be home with the family and I love to do fun stuff, I'm rather enjoying the down time at work today. By Saturday we'll be going full steam ahead again, I'm sure, and I can't wait.

Saturday afternoon our friends (T & D) and their two children (E & A, not to be confused with our A & E) arrived at our house. The "big" kids (ages 3 & 4) were beyond excited to be reunited. The little kids (14m & 8m) were too young to care much though they did exchange toys with each other. The adults, while excited, were able to control their excitement a little more than the big kids. Saturday afternoon and evening was spent hanging out in the record high temps and humidity while watching the kids thoroughly enjoy the pool. I'm positive that T & D brought the heat with them. They deny it! :)

Sunday morning we were on the move and on a mission to check out the SAC Museum. As we approached the museum, T & D thought their E was going to blow a gasket as there was much excitement over the rockets that lined the front of the museum. It was way cool to see him so excited. Our girls were excited and very much enjoyed the museum, but not quite like E did. After enjoying the museum and grabbing some lunch, we parted briefly for naps and then regrouped late afternoon for the kids to ride bikes and play outside. After all of that the girls still had energy for swimming lessons. They love going to swim lessons! We then stopped for our usual Chinese take out after lessons. This seems to be the routine we have fallen into each week.

Monday, oh Monday. Well, Plan A was to spend the day at the Henry Doorly Zoo. The girls and I are in our car while T, D & kids are in their car. Carie is getting Spencer a morning nap and plans to meet up with us afterwards. Perfect plan! Well, we near the exit to the zoo and suddenly we are in a major traffic jam. We are stopped a solid mile before the exit to the zoo and it appears that all the traffic is heading towards the zoo. I've never seen traffic like this before, at least not headed to the zoo, and it is not looking good. We fired up the cell phones and decided to abandon that plan and came up with a Plan B. Kudos to all of the adults for all of the flexibility and the kids for hanging with us. The Plan B was to pick up Carie and Spencer and head towards the Children's Zoo instead. We were going to do that the next day anyways, so we just switched things around. So we head down the road but the weather isn't looking so good. We pull into town (about a 45min drive) and it starts raining. Of course! We pull off and we present Plan C & D options. Carie calls around to make sure Plan C is truly an option, and it is. So we find some lunch then head to Morrill Hall... an indoor activity, score! We haven't been to Morrill Hall in a very long time and the girls have never been. We were a little concerned that the big kids would be a bit young, but in the end it turned out perfect. The kids loved looking at everything and there were tons of hands on opportunities and an awesome kid’s area. I think we all had a great time. If that wasn't enough, we still managed a trip to the Children's Zoo. The rain had stopped, mostly, and all of the kids were doing awesome so we decided to go for it. The zoo wasn't very busy and the kids had a great time exploring. They were also quite excited about the opportunity to go on the pony and train rides. Spencer had his first pony ride and wasn't sure what to make of it. Thankfully most of the kids (all but Abby) crashed on the ride home. We picked up some dinner and hung out at our place. The kids were able to relax, hang out, and play together.

On Tuesday we attempted the Henry Doorly Zoo again with much success. Traffic was back to normal or less than normal and the weather was absolutely beautiful. All around it was a far better day to spend at the big zoo. Carie stayed back with Spencer again and we were both glad for that opportunity. They joined us in perfect time for a picnic lunch followed by carrousel rides (Spencer's first), train ride, goat petting, gorilla and aquarium viewing. They missed the other fun outdoor attractions but the big kids had a great time and we've got plenty of opportunities to go back. After 5-6 hours at the zoo, it was time to go and attempt some power napping. After rejuvenating we rejoined for some BBQing, hanging out, and firework watching. While Spencer and baby A slept through most of it, the big kids had quite the late night. Ellie still didn't care for the fireworks this year and chose to cuddle up on our bed to watch Dora. Abby and E stuck with it and enjoyed the various neighborhood/driveway shows that were going on. If we were at a big display and farther away from the noise I'm certain that Ellie would have done better but the close up explosions just aren't her thing.

Wednesday we got a bit of a late start. Between all of the activities and the late night the night before, it was a good thing. Our main destination was the Children's Museum. We chose to go to the one that is 45 min from us rather than the one that is 25 min from us because it is just that much cooler of a museum. Their E rode with us, again. The big kids thought it was cool to ride together! We got into town and decided to first check out a little train park in the Haymarket. It was a great place for the kids to get down and walk around a bit before getting some lunch. After lunch we headed straight to the Children's Museum where all of the kids had a blast. Spencer and baby A had a great time playing in the baby area. Abby, Ellie and E had a great time playing with all of the big kid activities. It was really cool to watch the excitement on all of their faces. After a couple of hours it was time to head home and hope for naps en route. We then rejoined each other for dinner where D prepared a delicious meal. Spencer and baby A slept, the big kids played quite nicely together (except the whole "don't touch my body" part), and the adults enjoyed each other's company. After another late night we said our goodbyes. For today our lives return to "normal" as T, D & family begin their journey home.

Pictures soon... as soon as we sift through the several hundred.