Who taught her to pose like that?
Even though you can't tell, Emma's hair makes a heart. Happy Valentine's Day.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Happy Heart Day
Who taught her to pose like that?Even though you can't tell, Emma's hair makes a heart. Happy Valentine's Day.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Does she get any happier than this?
Last week Laura had an appointment with the ear doctor. Before the doctor came in, the Physician's Assistant was checking her ears. He asked me how many ear infections she has had, and gave me a look of concern/disgust when I said I didn't know. Then he looked in her ears, he said that the left had too much wax so he couldn't see her ear drum, and that the right had some wax but he could see part of the ear drum, and it looked good. Enter doctor Scheuller. He asked me if she pulls at her ears, no. Does she seem to be in pain, no. Does she get a fever, no. How do you know she has an ear infection, a doctor says she does during a well child check. He gave me a head nod and said that's what he thought. Dr. Scheuller said that (just like Emma's ears) they have had fluid in them most likely all her life. The longer the fluid is there, the less that the symptoms bother the patient. This was her normal. Then he looked in her ears and said they had lots of fluid that was a dark amber color and that tells him that it has been there for a long time. (The PA was still in the room and I think he felt like he had just got caught making a mistake.) The doctor said that looking at her past visits, and hearing tests, and because she just finished a dose of strong antibiotics but still had fluid in her ears, it was time to do tubes.
Today was the day. We woke up way early in the morning, got kids ready to go to school and grandma's, and went to the McKay-Dee Surgical Center in Ogden. Laura was happy, even though she couldn't have breakfast or anything to drink.
Laura was trying to help the nurse by holding the stethoscope. She made the nurse make funny faces and laugh. A different nurse told our nurse it was no fair that she got the cute patients.
She had a fun wagon ride down the hall to the surgical room. The anesthesiologist told her to "smile for the scrapbook." I told him it was really a blog, he laughed.
The doctor said her ears were full of a thick syrup like liquid. (This should definitely help her hearing!)
After she was done, she wanted a drink as soon as she saw a cup. She downed a lot of apple juice, so much that she didn't want breakfast at grandma's later.
She slept on the way home. Had a normal afternoon of fun with her siblings and then brought me her blanket. She sat on my lap for a couple of minutes and fell asleep again. I am, again, awakened to how things must seem new to her. Hearing things that she hasn't been able to hear before. Eating things that would now taste good instead of bland. It opens up a whole new world, so many new things to discover.
Today was the day. We woke up way early in the morning, got kids ready to go to school and grandma's, and went to the McKay-Dee Surgical Center in Ogden. Laura was happy, even though she couldn't have breakfast or anything to drink.
Laura was trying to help the nurse by holding the stethoscope. She made the nurse make funny faces and laugh. A different nurse told our nurse it was no fair that she got the cute patients.
She had a fun wagon ride down the hall to the surgical room. The anesthesiologist told her to "smile for the scrapbook." I told him it was really a blog, he laughed.
The doctor said her ears were full of a thick syrup like liquid. (This should definitely help her hearing!)
After she was done, she wanted a drink as soon as she saw a cup. She downed a lot of apple juice, so much that she didn't want breakfast at grandma's later.
She slept on the way home. Had a normal afternoon of fun with her siblings and then brought me her blanket. She sat on my lap for a couple of minutes and fell asleep again. I am, again, awakened to how things must seem new to her. Hearing things that she hasn't been able to hear before. Eating things that would now taste good instead of bland. It opens up a whole new world, so many new things to discover.Since your going to the grocery store anyway...
Why don't you pick up a few speech classes with that ice melt.
A couple of weeks ago, as we were walking into the grocery store, we saw some of the teachers and early interventionists that worked with Emma in the Up to 3 program. They were out in the community to let people know about the services they provide. They were all excited to see us and we visited in the doorway, kind of blocking the exit, for a couple of minutes. Then Kathryn (Emma's service coordinator) asked how Laura has been doing. I told her that we still have concerns about her hearing, that we have appointments set up (again) with the ear doctor, and that she still doesn't talk (no mama, dada or other basic sounds). Kathryn filled out the appropriate form right there at the grocery store and qualified Laura for services. The next week they scheduled Laura for testing and a language sample. Kathryn said they were almost fighting over who was assigned to Laura, they all wanted to work with her. (We started Emma in the program when Laura was two weeks old, so they have watched her grow up.) I can hear my life getting busier, it is so worth it!
As a side note: We contacted Kathryn when Laura turned one, but she didn't qualify then. Since Up to 3 covers many disabilities including gross motor and Laura doesn't have any gross motor problems, and at 12 months children could have a vocabulary of eight words, she wasn't far enough behind. They put her on a watch list and were planning on checking up on her at 18 months. We just got a jump start on it, at the grocery store.
A couple of weeks ago, as we were walking into the grocery store, we saw some of the teachers and early interventionists that worked with Emma in the Up to 3 program. They were out in the community to let people know about the services they provide. They were all excited to see us and we visited in the doorway, kind of blocking the exit, for a couple of minutes. Then Kathryn (Emma's service coordinator) asked how Laura has been doing. I told her that we still have concerns about her hearing, that we have appointments set up (again) with the ear doctor, and that she still doesn't talk (no mama, dada or other basic sounds). Kathryn filled out the appropriate form right there at the grocery store and qualified Laura for services. The next week they scheduled Laura for testing and a language sample. Kathryn said they were almost fighting over who was assigned to Laura, they all wanted to work with her. (We started Emma in the program when Laura was two weeks old, so they have watched her grow up.) I can hear my life getting busier, it is so worth it!
As a side note: We contacted Kathryn when Laura turned one, but she didn't qualify then. Since Up to 3 covers many disabilities including gross motor and Laura doesn't have any gross motor problems, and at 12 months children could have a vocabulary of eight words, she wasn't far enough behind. They put her on a watch list and were planning on checking up on her at 18 months. We just got a jump start on it, at the grocery store.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Michael Finnigan
There once was a man named Michael Finnigan, He had whiskers on his chinnigin. He shaved them off and they grew in again. Poor old Michael Finnigan.
Lee is not Michael Finnigan. This hair on his chin-y chin chin is the product of one month's worth of growth, taken right before he shaved it off.
He was getting some pretty strange comments though, he was told:
*He looked evil and sinister
*He looked more mature
*He looked like a Frenchman
*As he was shaving, Andrew told him not to cut it because he liked it...too late.
*I found it interesting that it had a lot of auburn in it.
Lee is not Michael Finnigan. This hair on his chin-y chin chin is the product of one month's worth of growth, taken right before he shaved it off.
He was getting some pretty strange comments though, he was told:
*He looked evil and sinister
*He looked more mature
*He looked like a Frenchman
*As he was shaving, Andrew told him not to cut it because he liked it...too late.
*I found it interesting that it had a lot of auburn in it.
Pine Wood Derby Marathon
The Cub Scouts did the Pine Wood Derby for Pack Meeting in January. It was on a Saturday, and the boys and dads got the cars to start working on that morning. They had a few different car designs pre-cut. The boys and dads sanded the wooden blocks.
Then they decorated them with markers and stickers. We didn't know we needed to bring markers or stickers, so it was nice that Tyler was able to borrow some. (I was surprised at how many of the dads I saw doing the decorating.)
They added weights to everybody's car to make them the exact same weight. Lee is helping with this part because Tyler wanted it to be like a person sitting in the car.
The Pack took a picture of each of the dads and boys. They will use them for the decorations at the Blue and Gold Banquet in February.
The race. Our Pack is done on the Stake level, so they had about 70 cars to race. The boys watched their car race four times, once in each lane, and then went and did different activities in other rooms while others raced. Tyler took second and third each time, he said he didn't win, but he didn't lose.
Here they are starting a Scout journal, and writing about the Pinewood Derby. Each family member made a page about the day. The leaders kept the journals and the boys will be adding to them during the year. The boys had to tie the covers and pages together which passed off knot tying.
They had certain ways they had to walk on the balance board. Walking sideways, forward, and backwards. Here Tyler is walking backwards. They even let the other kids try, so Andrew and Emma felt included on the fun too.
They did a few other activities like a high jump, a ring toss, paper cup races, and made toboggans out of candy canes and a candy bar that they raced down rain gutters.
Tyler passed off so many things at Pack meeting. When we got home and were signing off his book, he found other things he could do (like summer-salts, learning the turning hand signals for riding a bike, reading a book, signing the letters of his name, etc). We flagged the pages he worked on so the Wolf leaders knew what to update. He had over twenty new things signed off from that day.
Then they decorated them with markers and stickers. We didn't know we needed to bring markers or stickers, so it was nice that Tyler was able to borrow some. (I was surprised at how many of the dads I saw doing the decorating.)
They added weights to everybody's car to make them the exact same weight. Lee is helping with this part because Tyler wanted it to be like a person sitting in the car.
The Pack took a picture of each of the dads and boys. They will use them for the decorations at the Blue and Gold Banquet in February.
The race. Our Pack is done on the Stake level, so they had about 70 cars to race. The boys watched their car race four times, once in each lane, and then went and did different activities in other rooms while others raced. Tyler took second and third each time, he said he didn't win, but he didn't lose.
Here they are starting a Scout journal, and writing about the Pinewood Derby. Each family member made a page about the day. The leaders kept the journals and the boys will be adding to them during the year. The boys had to tie the covers and pages together which passed off knot tying.
They had certain ways they had to walk on the balance board. Walking sideways, forward, and backwards. Here Tyler is walking backwards. They even let the other kids try, so Andrew and Emma felt included on the fun too.
They did a few other activities like a high jump, a ring toss, paper cup races, and made toboggans out of candy canes and a candy bar that they raced down rain gutters.
Tyler passed off so many things at Pack meeting. When we got home and were signing off his book, he found other things he could do (like summer-salts, learning the turning hand signals for riding a bike, reading a book, signing the letters of his name, etc). We flagged the pages he worked on so the Wolf leaders knew what to update. He had over twenty new things signed off from that day.
Student of the Week
Tyler was picked as student of the week. (For the whole school, not just his grade or class!) He was excited to show me the bulletin board all about him when I came to teach art. He got a certificate to Cold Stone Creamery.
This is what Mrs. Pitcher filled out about him-
My name is: Tyler Crookston
I am in: 2nd grade
Something I am good at is: Math and helping others with math
Something special about me is: Amazing reading and fantastic drawer
Why I was chosen as student of the week: Has 100% of homework returned, winning Reflections entry, is kind and a bucket filler
[At Adams they talk about filling people's "buckets" and helping them feel good, instead of dipping into "buckets" and taking away from their self esteem.]
This is what Mrs. Pitcher filled out about him-
My name is: Tyler Crookston
I am in: 2nd grade
Something I am good at is: Math and helping others with math
Something special about me is: Amazing reading and fantastic drawer
Why I was chosen as student of the week: Has 100% of homework returned, winning Reflections entry, is kind and a bucket filler
[At Adams they talk about filling people's "buckets" and helping them feel good, instead of dipping into "buckets" and taking away from their self esteem.]
Not Old Main, But Good (and safer)
We recently headed up to campus to our favorite sledding hill, we don't do Old Main Hill, but we do have a pretty good spot that we like to go to every year. We had a great time.
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