Pine Nursery Park

It wasn't long ago that I was reintroduced to a park, Pine Nursery. We had gone years ago and I am not sure why it did not have the same umph at the time, but I will say our recent visits have been amazing. The park itself is little and it is perfect for little legs, cue Jonah. Not only that, it is beautiful! This winter has been unseasonal. It has been so warm--which last winter 😳. Exactly, so I am fine with this. I can drive without anxiety and that's a nice feature.  We have had such warm days and our family does not hesitate to go out and enjoy. My boys live for this kind of thing. Their happy place is outside. Honestly... mine is too. It feels easy, and care free. It feels like I have pressed the pause button. I feel like I can look around and see my family so clearly and love us easily. I take intentional deep breaths and try to take mental pictures of those moments. 

This particular time we took Odi to his first dog park experience which was...interesting. It was clear he was the new guy, he tucked his tail between his legs and sheepishly ran away from all dogs. I was intimidated for him at times when he was surrounded by many a dog all sniffing in all the wrong places or the right ones? If you are a dog? Oh dogs. But, he needed to start somewhere.  

The Annual Trip to the Pumpkin Patch

We figured out the best pumpkin patch to go to a few years ago, and now there is not question. The pumpkin patch is one of those things that...I love. I love it very much, maybe more than my kids. I can feel myself getting annoying to Sam when the pumpkin patch opens up and I am insistent on deciding on the best weekend to go all under the guise of the boys need to going. Yes, they do ask to go, but I make doubly sure, is happens. It was a beautiful and warm day and it was not crowded, and if memory serves they did not charge us to go -to get our pumpkins, of course, but there was hardly anyone there that they weren't bothering to take tickets for everything. It was an especially fun year because Jonah was able to enjoy it in a more hands on sense. It is fun having these ages of kids where at least all are mobile. 

We enjoyed the different play areas, the big slide, the mazes and bails of hay, and picking out our pumpkins. We had a very comical scene unfold as we were walking back to pick out the pumpkins we saw this farm dog hell bent on chasing around this chicken, and like most chickens, relied on our family as a buffer from the dog. The dog persisted in stalking the chicken so much that Jonah met the chicken face to face in the end, and he was not happy about it. 

New York Girls Hit Vegas Again

I am realizing that it has been so long since I have caught up on my blog that I will just have to face the music that until I catch my blogs up they may not contain the detail or finesse (if I can even call it that) that other blogs have. So, let me now go back to October (doodle doodle do doodle doodle do doodle do -see Wayne's World) The 

New York girls- minus Terri who was very missed- were able to get away again! It seemed like such a miracle the first time we went and so this time it felt like an...actuality. That we can actually make this happen on a regular basis, and that is amazing too. 

Like, I said the fine details may be missing but as always we had fun. We saw a mind magic show, (😂what are those called again?) we visited the strip for a night and had some yummy food, went to the red rock canyon, did some swimming...now that I think about it- the running joke the whole trip was that we basically copy and pasted almost everything we did the before! Ha! Starting with going to the same exact location of food place as our first stop only with a different name where we got belligerently double flipped off by an employee. We did not flipped off this time, I mean not everything can be the exact same. Key differences. 

The heart of the matter is this: this specific group of women is very unique. There is a very genuine nature in the way that we care for one an other, the comfort level that we have no matter the time that has passed, nor the distance that we all live. We are nice. And we are funny. And we love each other.  There really is an ease when we are together. We can cry together just as as easy as we can laugh together. We are in very close quarters with each other for a few days after years of not being together and it like we have spent our lives being roomies. 

I love the New York girls. I feel like they uplift me, focus on my strengths, and accept my weaknesses. I hope they each know that I fully embrace them. I marvel at each of their strengths. I admit, sometimes I feel like I am just holding my breath waiting for them to realize that I don't belong. I am the "one of these things are not like the other" song. I just feel plain lucky to be a part of them because they are each amazing.

 We dream of a cult a sac. 

School Updates

We are officially rolling in school. We have our schedules down, and everyone is getting used to what their week looks like. We had parent teacher conferences a little bit ago and I was so proud of both my elementary boys. I was able to have a very long discussion with Josh's teacher. We talked about the class, and all the amazing qualities that Josh is showing. He is also above average in every area. (which I was not surprised-he is a smart kid) But, we also talked about Rowan. We talked about what it could like for him when he starts in Kindergarten and the challenges and also all the positive things that come from have a special child in a family. 

Kaj..I wasn't sure what to expect. He was not liking 2nd grade very much at the beginning. (that has changed not) and I really didn't know how well he was doing in school. She showed me his scores with reading, accuracy, and comprehension and he was above in those areas and he has also been doing great in math. She mentioned that his attention seems iffy at times. (no surprise there) but she said he is not disrupting and still doing really well in all his work so it is not really an issue. All in all very good reports. I have to admit even though Josh is great at school, he follows the rules, he does his work, and he is making a lot of friends he is having more of an attitude at home. I recall with Kai Kindergarten was a hard year of transition at home as well. I am not worried about it, but it is different. Josh was always my helper, my listener, my cooperative kid and it has been hit or miss. I suppose it goes to show how much I can rely on Josh at home cause it is definitely making an impact at home. But, he is a kid, and he is working hard all day long and I think he comes home and just wants to not be on. 

Rowan continues to do really well in preschool. His teachers tell me he is interacting with them more. He loves letters right now- and he knows all of his letters also. He gets really excited when he sees letters and he likes trying to write them. There is a lot in that little mind of his we just have to be patient so one day he can better tell us. But, in terms of language there is a lot more expressive language and I find he is understanding more complex requests now. 

Josh receiving his award 

school pictures 2017

Jonah is awesome. I really have felt so happy to have Jonah in our lives lately. He has such a personality and he loves being with all of his brothers. He wants to be a big kid, and I am realizing how quick he picks up on things. He likes to ask: "What's this?" and point to all the pictures on the walls. Jonah and Rowan seem to like a lot of the same things, and I love seeing them play together. 

Kindergarten school picture

The Emotional Yo-yo of being a Mom

Devil's Lake

It should come as no shock that being a mom is rollercoaster ride. Sometimes it is really fun, and other times you scream and you hold on for dear life. It is also a yo yo.. I think kids don't believe adults to have feelings... at all. I have incidents that I can think of just in saying that phrase so there is proof in the pudding. Is it because kids think we're too old we don't care if our feelings get hurt anymore? that we are tough enough to handle it? or that we really are just null in void of them altogether? We may never know. 

A moment from the other night I will iterate the yo yo effect. It was a night that I was handling the boys solo. (It is going alright by the way - it still can get very long at times but for the most part it is fine) Anyways, I was getting the boys to bed and Kaj was deciding that he wants to live close to us when he is married and a dad. "In the same neighborhood"  were his very words. I tell him I would love that. He takes it a step further saying that he is only going to marry someone who likes me. 🙌🏻 Angels are singing, my heart is soaring, this is the kind of thing boy moms love to hear! Josh walks in after overhearing our conversations and weighs in, "I'm going to live really far away." 💀😭 Back to the downward part of the yo yo. I mean, it is funny now, but it actually really, truly hurt my feelings that night. It was just one of those days. And, honestly, fillling in the gaps Josh was being poopy because he was unhappy about losing his free time that night.. maybe he still meant it but I'd like to believe he did not. And we are bouncing back up again. 

Shevlin Park

The Beginning of the New School Year

School is in session. It comes around later than most places  but we are finally in the thick of it. I have a second grader, a Kindergartener, and my Preschool boy. 

Kaj is still trying to get used to second grade. He does not have his buddy that he had in both Kindergarten and first grade, but he didn't seem concerned about it. He tells me how long it is, and how they go to the "meeting spot" to much, and that lunch starts really late. 12:20. I really do hope that he starts enjoying it since there is a lot of year left. 

Josh. I am not surprised how amazing he is doing. He loves school. He loves learning. He is smart. He is not afraid to answer questions. He has made lots of friends. He tells me about a new friend he has made every day. I am so happy about it. They give these character trait awards out each month and so for October the first month they are doing this Josh is getting the award for responsibility and respect. He really makes me feel like a proud mom. Not that I can take any credit he is just the way he is. 

Rowan bears is the one I worried about most. Last year for preschool for 1 day a week he cried almost every time. It just was not a great experience. I was bracing for the worst, but I have been pleasantly surprised. He has not cried once. He is happy when we drop him off and picking him up. He always tells me, "Go say hi." Not only did he start preschool but the same time he started ABA. Applied behavioral Analysis. This was the recommendation when he received his diagnosis. I have liked every one I have interacted with so far, and he seems to respond well to each of the people he works with. He is up to about 10 hours a week, but they want him to get up to 25. 😳 That is a TON! He is 3 years old, but research suggests blah blah blah (it suggests that intensive time at this young age has the most optimal results) But, he is my son, and I will gauge how is doing and do what's best. He goes to ABA Monday thru Thursday and has preschool in the morning on Tuesdays and Thursdays so he is busy boy. By the end of the week it does catch up with him, He is so tuckered out. I am so impressed by how amazingly he is doing. He is already meeting and passing off goals while being delightful.