Family Pictures 2011

It was that time of year again.  Family Pictures, with the in-laws.  12 total. 6 adults, 6 kids.  But here are some of our family. 

School Pictures

 Isaac, 7, 2nd Grade

Carson, 5, Kindergarten

Kids Update

School has been great for the kids.  Both like and enjoy it.  Carson comes home singing songs and telling what they did in gym.  He loves Tech days (computers). It was a rough beginning for Carson since early on he caught a week long high fever virus that was going rampage in his class (one day there was 6 kids absent).  He ended up with Pneumonia during that time too.  So far he has missed 6 days, 5 were of that time. The other was a Shriners appt.  He is excelling in all areas, first report card given. But the Art teacher gave him a bad report (3-not working to ability, or whatever 3 stands for) which looks silly and out of place on the report card.  Carson says he does the same as everyone else.  So who knows on that part. But we wish he would be the Carson in school, at home.  Still a tough stubborn boy at home.    

Isaac doing great too.  Same stuff told each year (a teachers dream to have, excells in Math and Reading but needs to slow down on his work...sounds familiar).  But for the first time since Kindergarten, he has missed a day of school.  A one time high fever morning with an upper respiratory virus....that too hit the kids recently (Bronchitis for Carson). His teacher had a rough start as well.  She missed the first 2+ weeks of school due to an illness that landed her in the hospital.  Thankfully they were given a sub that stayed with them til the regular teacher came back.
Kianna. Little Miss Attitude.  She looks like she could be in school (and she wishes).  She is as tall as the Kinder kids and wears the size of shoes they do (just a size down from Carson).  And to think she has got 2 more years before she starts.  There goes my gymnastic dreams for her...lol.  Basketball???  Volleyball???  Still hoping for gymnastics.  Oh yea, she recently learned how to write her name by herself.            

Summer is over...School is back in session

Summer vacation is OVER and School is now in session.  2 kids in school, leaving a quiet house for Kianna and I. 
On Sept 6th, Isaac went off to 2nd grade and on the 8th, Carson went off to Kindergarten.  Both like school and their teachers (Loge for Isaac and Otto for Carson)...and this mom likes the SILENCE in the house!!! 

*pictures to come later*

Another School Year Down

June 3rd marked the end of school year.  Isaac is now a 2nd grader and Carson is now a Kindergartner.  Come fall, we'll have 2 in school.  After a bad Kindergarten year attendance wise for Isaac (RSV, surgery, surgery complication 4 day hospitalization, week long high fever virus,...), he made it through all school year, this year, without missing any.  Perfect attendance for all of 1st grade. It was my goal for him, and he succeeded!  Now only if Carson could follow but that is never going to happen (its going to be one interesting year for him).

Happy Summer Vacation!!!    

Happy 3rd Birthday, Kianna!

Kianna is 3 now and there was no way to stop it.  She was even counting down the days herself.  She asked for McD's for her birthday dinner, which she got.  She also asked for a Tinkerbell cake, which was delicious. 
She is into Tinkerbell (her favorite), Barbie, and Princesses.  LOVES to bike.  And she is also the best shopping partner there is (even asks if we can go shopping).  So happy and glad she is a girly girl and not a tom boy like many thought she would be with having 2 older brothers.  Proved many wrong, hahaha! 

Happy 7th Birthday, Isaac

7 years ago, we opened up the next chapter of our lives. We became first-time parents. Our first born is now 7 (and in 1st Grade). Crazy.
We enjoyed a basketball cake, after supper from Burger King (which he requested). Then opened some presents (a new 20-inch bike and a new scooter). Before bed we played some Connect 4, his FAVORITE game, which was from Grandma/pa Radabaugh.

Happy 7th, Peanut, and hope you had a great day.

One Year and Counting

One year ago on the 18th of February (yesterday), we learned that after 3 rounds of chemo, B was now cancer free. God stuck to his promise and answered our prayers. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!!

PT Update

A setback. Had 2 other knee specialists look at my catching/clicking problem at PT today. Plica is causing my knee alignments/movements to be all backwards. So its back to the drawing board for a few things. If not working after awhile....back to the Ortho to talk about surgery.

Carson's 5 yr appt

Its medically official, he can go to school now in the fall. He's got the shots done (with a few tears and moans). He is still square...his weight and height match up. He even decided he wanted to give a urine sample. Isaac always hated it, never did it. So he was proud of that, getting one over Isaac. Its the little things that count, LOL.

Also, Isaac lost another tooth last night. So he was happy to see that the Tooth Fairy is still around as its been awhile since last lost one.

PT Appt

No real PT today. That starts Friday at 7am. Today was just examining and giving me at home exercises to do. For those that have been asking, Ryan Hebrink is the Therapist.

http://www.knee1.com/Education_Center/Conditions/Retropatellar_Pain_Syndrome

The above link is bascially the same as the other link I posted in the past.

Isaac's IEP Meeting and Conferences

Has a BIG smile on her face and wants to give Isaac a great big bear hug. So proud of his accomplishment. Even tho he still has troubles with expression (sentence structure/grammar) in speech (will continue help on that), he met all other goals and passed all assessments. He is truely up to his class/grade level and will miss Deb greatly (he still will see Kristi for speech). So he now will have an extra 30-45 minutes in class. With the transition help with that, he will be in Title 1, which is held in the classroom.

Also learned that if he was a new student he wouldn't qualify for speech....so that is great! He has came a long way (since he was 2 1/2 years old).

Conferences were the same. Great, all out/around perfect student. First to get lessons done (but rushes some just like his mom did too). Gets involved in classroom discussions, which is a HUGE achievement for a kid with a speech delay (what you want to get over and he did). Excells in Math and Spelling. And can tell he LOVES school period.

Ortho appt

I have a classic form of (which is causing Plica):
http://www.bing.com/health/article/mayo-126455/Chondromalacia-patella?q=chondromalacia&qpvt=patellofemoral+syndrome

So hopefully with the help of good arch supporters (have an appt with a Pod), anti-inflamitory meds (1/day for 4-6 weeks) and intensive physical training (3 days/week for 4-6 weeks), my knees won't bother anymore. Since its been too long already (a couple to a few years) and we are hoping, with our fingers crossed, that this works. Stretches and exercises (including RICE and other crap) at home, aint doing squat. When I stop, the pain starts back up. So its time for reinforcements! Im game for whatever right now, even possible surgery.

Kinda excited for the PT because I can loose more than a few pounds. Weight has gone up since the last appt, by 3lbs...YIKES!!!!

Happy 5th Birthday, Carson

Carson is....5! Hard to believe, but its true. Too bad he had to be sick on his birthday (thanks big brother Isaac for sharing his strep germs) but we enjoyed some Papa Murphys pizza and a Spiderman cake, followed by presents (a new scooter and a keyboard that came with a mic). In my mind he didn't really turn 5 until late last night. Like 3 minutes til midnight, at 11:57pm. And since his labor was only 2 hours long (and natural, no drugs, epi, or anything), all day and night he was 4 in my eyes, until that special time of 11:57pm,..... in which I was sleeping, LOL.
My only wish for him, is to be as fast as he was coming into this world. The boy is stubbornly slow.

MRI Results and Kitty Results

MRI results showed Plica. Ortho appt at the end of January....UPDATED....Appt is in the beginning of February.

http://orthopedics.about.com/cs/otherinformation1/a/plica.htm

Kitty Results: STITCHES!!! She is home with a 2-inch shaved area on her tail with stitches all around. Meds too.

MRI and a Vet Emergency Call

For years my knees have been aching off and on...flareups. But for the past couple weeks they have been intolerable. Swelling, pain, can't straighten it without turning to the side first, waking in the night with pain...everything. Dr thinks I might have tore some cartlidge or done something to the soft tissue so he ordered me an MRI on it. And with that said I made it through. I have total respect with people that have to endeavour scans regularly or have to go totally inside those things. I was in up to my stomach and I was a little panicky. Youll never see me fully in those things unless Im put under or heavily sedated. And the noise...it was loud even with headphones on and music going, which I had them turn it up so I could hear better but still had to concentrate on listening. Reminded me of heavy metal music, especially guitars. Particulary the start of the song, Bad Reputation. And also the sound of tunnel drilling, but with a little jackhammering mixed in.

Then later tonight Isaac accidently slammed the cats tail in the door and completely ripped some fur off to the bone. Its not completely off the tail, still intact to it. Its more like a huge wide open twisted cut, not bleeding tho. Called the vet and they said its very common and to bring her in tomorrow morning, right away. Hoping they can fix it (stitches/antibiotics) but if they can't, its amputation. Thats the 2 options given.

Happy New Year...2011!!!

2010 ranked #2 on the worst years list, behind 2009, which was #1. So I am glad to see it go and be optimistic about 2011. After 2 horrible, no-good years, there must be an end to it....hoping its not the 3rd of the "bad things come in 3's" phase. OPTIMISM...!

We DID make it til midnight, toasted 2011 with Champagne. Isaac, who wanted to stay up, didn't last long-wanted to go to bed and he asked to be waken at midnight but that didn't go well, Mr. Crabbypants.
And this morning we welcomed 2011 with some left over champagne with OJ.