13 years ago
Monday, November 30, 2009
Friday, November 20, 2009
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Blech and Hurrah!
So, I've been down sick. My entire adult life, I've always gotten sick faster from sick children around me than from other adults around me. Maybe it's the introduction of new germs, I'm not sure. anyway, I've been down and have only moved about 2 steps up towards being normal again. Sigh.
I have been proud to tears this week as Calli is going to get an honor at the Honor Roll ceremony at her school. She has come so far so quickly, I could not be more proud of her accomplishments and her willingness to learn.
I have been proud to tears this week as Calli is going to get an honor at the Honor Roll ceremony at her school. She has come so far so quickly, I could not be more proud of her accomplishments and her willingness to learn.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Hands that Heal
Moving Mountains Hubley Style's Rebekka Hubley is a mom I've met in yahoo groups and then in person. Answering a question from her about a girl in Calliandra's foster home, led to her interest in and starting the adoption paperwork for her. We went camping together, as part of the White Cane Campers in August. She was able to connect to every family there, and she and her daughter Hannah made a great addition to our group.
Rebekka also started an excellent mission two years ago, called Hands That Heal. She was interviewed about it here
Please check it, and their blog out. Perhaps this is a ministry that would call to you, to foster one of these little ones in your home someday!
Rebekka also started an excellent mission two years ago, called Hands That Heal. She was interviewed about it here
Please check it, and their blog out. Perhaps this is a ministry that would call to you, to foster one of these little ones in your home someday!
Monday, November 09, 2009
Leavings
Maybe that should be leafings; today's post is all about Leaves.
Okay, mostly about leaves.
Last Wed., Acer was home form school sick and napping, and I was downstairs reading. I started hearing a blower, but assumed that it was at a neighbor's house. I mean, we don't blow our leaves we simply mow them back into the soil as both a soil amendment and as a weed preventer for next year. It was a persistent noise, and seemed to close, so after a bit, I went up to see. Yup, there was a blower going on our property, run by a guy I'd never seen before. It seems he'd gotten our house, tri-level, red brick, green shutters, silver mini van, mixed with the neighbor's two doors down, tri-level red brick, green shutters, GREEN mini van. He finished up a little, by blowing the leaves off the driveway and sidewalks, and then went down to the other house. Nice enough guy, let Acer check out what the noise was, but still....odd.
This weekend, knowing Calli was disappointed by our not raking up the leaves so she could have a leaf pile, I sent Calli over to Mum's to help Uncle James with the leaves. Mum has two HUGE sycamore trees, and it's not unusual for her to have 60 bags of leaves over the season. On Saturday, Calli helped by bagging all the leaves Uncle James raked - 20 bags. On Sunday she ASKED to go back and they bagged another 7 bags. She also helped take stuff to the recycle place where she had fun throwing things into the appropriate bins.
Acer is mostly over being sick, and we did find his glasses so Hurrah there. He also has a new you tube love - Instructional piano playing videos and piano videos in general. He prefers jazz, boogie woogie and blues piano to classical, but still has his favorites in classical, Moonlight Sonata and Fur Elise have top ranking.
I seem to have some down with an ENT infection and am fighting it, but it's leaving me pretty drained.
We invited a girl from Calli's school to go to church with us. B. is also blind, but a couple years older than Calli. B. and Calli have played together on the playground, and even eaten lunch together the first month or so Calli's been in school. I made sure to print out another Braille copy of the Sunday School Lesson and service bulletin so she could follow just as Calli does. I stayed home and slept and restd, but by all accounts, B/ wants to come back. Hurrah!
Okay, mostly about leaves.
Last Wed., Acer was home form school sick and napping, and I was downstairs reading. I started hearing a blower, but assumed that it was at a neighbor's house. I mean, we don't blow our leaves we simply mow them back into the soil as both a soil amendment and as a weed preventer for next year. It was a persistent noise, and seemed to close, so after a bit, I went up to see. Yup, there was a blower going on our property, run by a guy I'd never seen before. It seems he'd gotten our house, tri-level, red brick, green shutters, silver mini van, mixed with the neighbor's two doors down, tri-level red brick, green shutters, GREEN mini van. He finished up a little, by blowing the leaves off the driveway and sidewalks, and then went down to the other house. Nice enough guy, let Acer check out what the noise was, but still....odd.
This weekend, knowing Calli was disappointed by our not raking up the leaves so she could have a leaf pile, I sent Calli over to Mum's to help Uncle James with the leaves. Mum has two HUGE sycamore trees, and it's not unusual for her to have 60 bags of leaves over the season. On Saturday, Calli helped by bagging all the leaves Uncle James raked - 20 bags. On Sunday she ASKED to go back and they bagged another 7 bags. She also helped take stuff to the recycle place where she had fun throwing things into the appropriate bins.
Acer is mostly over being sick, and we did find his glasses so Hurrah there. He also has a new you tube love - Instructional piano playing videos and piano videos in general. He prefers jazz, boogie woogie and blues piano to classical, but still has his favorites in classical, Moonlight Sonata and Fur Elise have top ranking.
I seem to have some down with an ENT infection and am fighting it, but it's leaving me pretty drained.
We invited a girl from Calli's school to go to church with us. B. is also blind, but a couple years older than Calli. B. and Calli have played together on the playground, and even eaten lunch together the first month or so Calli's been in school. I made sure to print out another Braille copy of the Sunday School Lesson and service bulletin so she could follow just as Calli does. I stayed home and slept and restd, but by all accounts, B/ wants to come back. Hurrah!
Thursday, November 05, 2009
Off to school for the Little Man
Acer seems to have his energy back, and his voice so off he went. Of course we couldn't find his glasses so there were some moments of angst this morning but at least he was off. THe glasses are for protection, not sight, so we don't HAVE to have him wear them, around the house, he tends to take them off. Obviously he did, somewhere, probably 4 or 5 days ago and we just haven't noticed. Calli was even checking out underneath Acer's bed, but they weren't there. Acer's not home from morning school yet, we'll see if he's okay for afternoon school too.
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
Still down for the count
Acer is sicker today than yesterday. Yesterday I would have said he was headed back to school, this morning, the cough was back and the voice was back to being hoarse. He didn't even argue when I told him he was going to take a morning and an afternoon nap.
Calli feels okay, she just has a slight dry cough, so yesterday she napped and went to bed early. She was sick two weeks ago, but has not shaken this cough yet.
Calli feels okay, she just has a slight dry cough, so yesterday she napped and went to bed early. She was sick two weeks ago, but has not shaken this cough yet.
Tuesday, November 03, 2009
Some Halloween Pix
But before we get into that, Just a note that Acer's sleeping the days away seems to have helped. He no longer sounds so incredibly hoarse. He has a raspy voice to begin with, so when he gets sick well..... it sounds like he's an 80 year old smoker.
Here's The Princess Calliandra pulling her coach. Can't imagine where her horses have gone that she's pulling it herself ;) She was going FAST! Bill and I were walking faster than normal to keep up with her. We put Acer in the wagon to start, he finished up in Bill's arms but at least he didn't spend the whole night there as he has in past years. I'm sad that the monkey costume will be going away next year, I love that costume.
Here's the Princess with her hair down, but you can still see the long dangly earrings she loves and some of the makeup we used to make her more glamourous for the evening. I think this is what she'll look like as an adult. So beautiful. Sorry the pictures are so goofy, I was snapping pictures with my phone while she was scarfing pizza.
Here's The Princess Calliandra pulling her coach. Can't imagine where her horses have gone that she's pulling it herself ;) She was going FAST! Bill and I were walking faster than normal to keep up with her. We put Acer in the wagon to start, he finished up in Bill's arms but at least he didn't spend the whole night there as he has in past years. I'm sad that the monkey costume will be going away next year, I love that costume.
Here's the Princess with her hair down, but you can still see the long dangly earrings she loves and some of the makeup we used to make her more glamourous for the evening. I think this is what she'll look like as an adult. So beautiful. Sorry the pictures are so goofy, I was snapping pictures with my phone while she was scarfing pizza.
Monday, November 02, 2009
Poor Little Man
Acer's down sick, and when I say down, I mean it. He sleeps. For hours and hours. He doesn't complain, he just sleeps. Currently, he's been napping for more than 4 hours, and he'll wake up, eat and go back to bed. He was awake for a whopping 8 hours yesterday, and not much more the day before. :(
Sunday, November 01, 2009
Halloween week
This is my absolute favorite picture of the week. Acer was trying on his costume Th afternoon when he decided he wanted a snuggle on our bed. They went up, I followed and Calli snuggled Acer to sleep.
One of the ladies at the Library for the Blind has this tool set she lets Acer play with while I emboss the church bulletin for Calli.
The best picture I have of the two of them on Friday Morning.
Acer in his China outfit waiting for the afternoon bus on Th.
Acer first wore the China Outfit to church on Sun.. Here he's letting loose on the keyboard, think he's more a jazz pianist than a classical one, but he is very fluid, not choppy at all in his playing.
One of my favorites of Mum and Acer. He fell asleep on her during church and didn't wake up for a LONG time afterwards. Good thing Mum is patient.
Walking together through life
Here are the kids in one of my favorite pix of them lately, not my ultimate favorite, that would be the sleeping monkey, but a better everyday life one.
Halloween Joy
What a stretch of Halloween Celebration we've had this week, from a surprise Trunk or Treat at our wonderful next door neighbor's church last Sunday afternoon through last night.
I really liked the Trunk or Treat as a way for Calli to get her feet wet so to speak. She wore her ballerina costume, and Acer wore the China Outfit he'd worn to church that day. They have a really active church with a lot of good diversity, they even have an outreach for the deaf, with interpretation of the service. Our church is nowhere near as diverse, if we weren't sure we were where God wanted us, probably to help shake things up, we'd go to this church. There were trunks to treat out of and then crafts and games .
Acer wore his China costume to school on Th. His afternoon school was having their Halloween Party so he wore the outfit all day. The parade through the classrooms was a little too hectic for him, he likes to take his time and explore not just march through areas. His one on one aide ended up carrying him through much of the school. He was a little disappointed to find out, when they went to third grade, that Calli was NOT there. Yes, I think Acer thinks, that if he's at a school, Calli should be at the same school.
Just a note on the afternoon program, Acer is loving it. He's learning their rules, learning their songs, and the teacher has not just accepted having him in her classroom, she has gone above and beyond and is learning more than she'd need to to just have him survive in her class. She is always asking the visiting VI teacher about things, and the VI teacher is always coming up with ideas too. It's really been a great experience to have these two collaborating so well to get the best for Acer.
Acer wore his monkey costume to morning school on Friday, I love this costume, I got it the first Halloween he was home, and I got it in a size 4 so it would last. Well, it has, it is just so cute and soft and squishy I'll hate to see it go. He didn't have PM school, so we ran a few errands. The ladies at the Library for the Blind were all over him in his squishy fuzzy cuteness. Calli was a ballerina. I'd figured out that she had a dress she could wear right over her costume, so we didn't have to worry about changing. She was slightly disappointed in not being able to wear her favorite long dangly earrings with it, but survived. She really enjoyed the school party and games and being part of the parade. All new eperiences and she soaked them up.
Saturday Calli went to a Bowling Birthday party that Acer had to miss because he's fighting a cold. From Friday at 4 until Saturday at 5:30 Acer was only awake for a total of 8 hours. He just slept and slept and slept, it was incredible. I'm sure it has helped but, he's still sick. Calli came home from the party after she and Bill went grocery shopping, and then was just aquiver with anticipation until she could dress up. We'd been given two outfits, the ballerina one and a princess one. The Princess one had long sleeves, so with a downturn of the temperature, she switched from Ballerina to Princess. We put her hair up in a bun on top of her head, and then used a tiara she'd brought with her from Bethel. A tiny bit of make up, and Voila! Princess Calliandra made her debut.
We started out after Uncle James arrived to pass out candy; the kids had passed it out before then. Calli started out pulling Acer in the wagon, faster than we were walking, she was psyched up! Acer went longer than he ever had, but he still conked out pretty early. Bill and he headed back while Calli forged ahead. She was out until the sirens signaled the end of trick-or treating, I think she could have kept going for a lot longer if not for that. She did really well with navigating her way to doors. I'd simply tell her where the sidewalk to the house was from the driveway and where she needed to go and off she went, while I stood on the sidewalk. She came home triumphant with a very heavy bag!
I really liked the Trunk or Treat as a way for Calli to get her feet wet so to speak. She wore her ballerina costume, and Acer wore the China Outfit he'd worn to church that day. They have a really active church with a lot of good diversity, they even have an outreach for the deaf, with interpretation of the service. Our church is nowhere near as diverse, if we weren't sure we were where God wanted us, probably to help shake things up, we'd go to this church. There were trunks to treat out of and then crafts and games .
Acer wore his China costume to school on Th. His afternoon school was having their Halloween Party so he wore the outfit all day. The parade through the classrooms was a little too hectic for him, he likes to take his time and explore not just march through areas. His one on one aide ended up carrying him through much of the school. He was a little disappointed to find out, when they went to third grade, that Calli was NOT there. Yes, I think Acer thinks, that if he's at a school, Calli should be at the same school.
Just a note on the afternoon program, Acer is loving it. He's learning their rules, learning their songs, and the teacher has not just accepted having him in her classroom, she has gone above and beyond and is learning more than she'd need to to just have him survive in her class. She is always asking the visiting VI teacher about things, and the VI teacher is always coming up with ideas too. It's really been a great experience to have these two collaborating so well to get the best for Acer.
Acer wore his monkey costume to morning school on Friday, I love this costume, I got it the first Halloween he was home, and I got it in a size 4 so it would last. Well, it has, it is just so cute and soft and squishy I'll hate to see it go. He didn't have PM school, so we ran a few errands. The ladies at the Library for the Blind were all over him in his squishy fuzzy cuteness. Calli was a ballerina. I'd figured out that she had a dress she could wear right over her costume, so we didn't have to worry about changing. She was slightly disappointed in not being able to wear her favorite long dangly earrings with it, but survived. She really enjoyed the school party and games and being part of the parade. All new eperiences and she soaked them up.
Saturday Calli went to a Bowling Birthday party that Acer had to miss because he's fighting a cold. From Friday at 4 until Saturday at 5:30 Acer was only awake for a total of 8 hours. He just slept and slept and slept, it was incredible. I'm sure it has helped but, he's still sick. Calli came home from the party after she and Bill went grocery shopping, and then was just aquiver with anticipation until she could dress up. We'd been given two outfits, the ballerina one and a princess one. The Princess one had long sleeves, so with a downturn of the temperature, she switched from Ballerina to Princess. We put her hair up in a bun on top of her head, and then used a tiara she'd brought with her from Bethel. A tiny bit of make up, and Voila! Princess Calliandra made her debut.
We started out after Uncle James arrived to pass out candy; the kids had passed it out before then. Calli started out pulling Acer in the wagon, faster than we were walking, she was psyched up! Acer went longer than he ever had, but he still conked out pretty early. Bill and he headed back while Calli forged ahead. She was out until the sirens signaled the end of trick-or treating, I think she could have kept going for a lot longer if not for that. She did really well with navigating her way to doors. I'd simply tell her where the sidewalk to the house was from the driveway and where she needed to go and off she went, while I stood on the sidewalk. She came home triumphant with a very heavy bag!
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