Quick Post

Yes, another quick post...some day I'll take the time to do some "real" posts again.

Yesterday Mark had OT and PT.  I'm thrilled that we now have a pediatric Physical Therapist.  So much better than a "regular" PT, although they certainly helped too.  On the way home I stopped and got 3 baskets of peaches, planning on doing them today or tomorrow.  They were all ripe, however, so I spent the afternoon and evening canning peaches.

This morning Mark had speech therapy.  While there I finished a book that I'd been reading for awhile.  "Wounded Children, Healing Homes".  I really, really loved this book and totally recommend it for anyone with wounded children whether from life or adoption or foster care or working with these children.  There are several chapters specifically dealing with school which could be helpful both for parents and teachers/administrators.

Okay.  My house fell apart while I've been busy so I need to tend to that instead of blogging...another post soon (hopefully).

Have a lovely day!

It's a sunny Monday

and I see that once again it's been nearly a week since I blogged.  I'm still here...just not blogging much.  And right now I'm in the midst of cooking supper, so I'll try to do a "real" post sometime soon.

Tuesday Randomness

A few photos of last week's trip to the beach interspersed with random comments.  We are blessed to have family with a vacation home near the beach that they rent to us very reasonably.  We had a great week, cooler than normal, but still lots of fun:  swimming in the ocean, playing card games, eating, watching favorite movies & tv shows, bike riding...just hanging out together.

 

 

I worked hard to get photos of this little one...he likes to hide and mope when the camera is out.

 

 

I'm feeling melancholy tonight....school starts tomorrow.  And Zach starts kindergarten so I'll be sending 4 kids on the big yellow bus this year, at least some days.  Zach goes full days Tuesdays, Fridays, and alternate Wednesdays.

 

Randy really enjoys riding bike, so several evenings I took the kids in the van to the beach and he biked out to join us.  For his birthday, coming up soon, I told him to go ahead and get that road bike he was interested in...I love to see him enjoying this!

 

Josiah is getting quite mature.  He is now as tall as I am.  This year he will be in 8th grade...his final year at our small private school.  So we need to decide where he goes from here...local public school or homeschool or cyberschool.

My efforts at getting a group photo of the kids this weekend were not so great.

This beautiful girl is going to 3rd grade.  She has a great teacher and is looking forward to school.  She loves being with her friends and is our little butterfly.  She loves math, but struggles with reading and spelling.

Our oldest daughter is now a middle-schooler...6th grade, so she'll join the Jr. Youth at church.  She is getting tall as well...we can now share shoes.  She has a small class at school...13 I think, and only 4 of them are girls.

Me and my sweet little boy who loves to give me kisses.  He turns 5 next month.  We still need to do the potty training thing as it's just not happening.  He continues with Speech, Physical, and Occupational Therapies.

World War II Tower at Cape Henlopen State Park, DE

Sisters

 

My parents joined us for a day at the beach.  When mom was hiking up the tower with some of the kids, they sang Amazing Grace, marveling at how it echoed off the tower walls (and thinking no one was around).  I was outside waiting for some of the rest of the kids.  It sounded so beautiful!

My favorite man!  :-)

My Kindergartner.  We're still working with him a lot, of course.  While he's not currently doing any therapies, we are debating about trying some meds with him.  He has been diagnosed with some assorted letters...but it's hard to know what's a diagnosis and what's a result of trauma...because even separating from your mom at birth, is trauma...

 

Tonight he surprised me with lots of kisses and giggles...very rare.

 

I am so not ready to do the school thing again...homework, lunches, stress....loving the "lazy" days of summer.

 

We got a letter notifying us that we are being audited by the state dept. of transportation...making sure our miles traveled (Randy's trucking) match up with what we reported...so lots of paperwork and copying going on around here.

 

I have not done much freezing/canning yet this year...so that needs to be a priority very soon.

 

We're also redoing our basement so that's all torn up.

 

I noticed that I've hardly blogged at all this year compared to the other years...not sure why...maybe I just don't have much to say this year...maybe the kids are older and I'm busier in a different way.  I think when I had infants, I would often blog in those late night hours when I was trying to get them to go down for the night.

 

And now my baby's turning 4 in a few months...

We're back

from a lovely week at the beach.  Will try to blog more soon...

I see...

...that I haven't blogged in a while.  So, what's going on around here?

• the weather is fabulous!  Really more like September than August.
• 2 weeks until school starts (I am so not ready for this year to begin).
• I've been reading "Wounded Children, Healing Homes" (How traumatized children impact adoptive and foster families).  I highly recommend it.
• We are in the process of redoing our basement.  Right now we're in the "demolish" phase.  We've torn out the drop ceiling and carpet (other than Josiah's bedroom which still needs some things removed).  We're going to replace the ceiling and carpet, paint, add more lighting, and add a few closets for storage (I really don't like boxes just sitting around).  Very exciting.
• Saturday the kids spent the day at Grandma & Grandpa's with their cousins.  Randy & I walked around Lowes for quite some time discussing what we're going to do.
• I now get sidetracked looking at paint chips.  :-)
• Today I need to straighten up the house (of course) and bake something with zucchini.  Probably I'll do a load or 2 of laundry as well.
• The children have all been sleeping in...this is going to need to change for school...not looking forward to that...
• I have done very little freezing and/or canning for this year so far.  That needs to change too!
• At church on Sunday we heard a message on "How Great is the Love the Father has Lavished On Us...."   He talked about getting away from perfectionism (shoulds, could ofs, and oughts) and living a grace-infused life.  (www.gehmanmennonitechurch.org)  I very much enjoyed it.
• This week we have NO therapies!  It is wonderful!  I know how important they are to our sons...but I so enjoy when I have a break from them.