Summer 2013

January 2013

Halloween 2012

Happy New Year 2012!

Catching Up

I know it has been several months since I last posted. Things have been very busy and I am finding it harder to find time to blog. I will try to catch up on everything that has been going on since my last post.

We had a quiet holiday season this year. Andy had back surgery a few days before Christmas so we just took it easy so he could recuperate and didn't travel or have any company for Christmas. He is all healed and pretty much back to normal. It was a tough year health wise for Andy, having foot surgery back in March and back surgery in December. We're hoping for a better year in 2011. He is currently in Germany for 3 weeks for work. I am hoping the time goes by quick, the kids really miss him and I really miss him. It's tough with one of me and 3 of them.

Brendan celebrated his 11th birthday in January and is doing great in school this year bringing home great grades. Last weekend he crossed over from cub scouts to boy scouts. They had a very nice ceremony at the weekend campout.

Dylan is doing well back in the public school and still gets tutoring with Larissa at home twice a week. We got some bad news in January regarding his vision. It has gotten worse over the past year and we are starting to see that in his everyday activities. All we can do right now is keep up with his learning braille at school (which will benefit him in the long run) and take it a year at a time. He is still reading his textbooks and is a very good reader, but it continues to get harder for him to read smaller print.

Maddie is also doing well in school. She is very smart and school has been very good for her socially too. She has made a couple of friends and has fun at school each day.

As for me, I returned to school in January. Since all of the kids are now in school I knew it was time for me to go back to work after an 11 year hiatus. I really didn't want to use my current degree in financial economics and I knew I would have a tough time finding a job. I have always been interested in medicine and wanted to get into something in the medical field so I decided to enter the nursing program at Trident Technical College. Since I already have a bachelors degree I only had to re-take my anatomy classes before starting the nursing program (since it has been VERY long since I last took them). I am currently re-taking anatomy I and will re-take my second anatomy class this summer and in the fall I will start the actual program. Some very busy times ahead for me!

We had a little vacation a couple of weeks ago up in Myrtle Beach. 3 of my sisters and my Dad and all 5 of us rented a house right on the beach for a few days. The weather wasn't perfect, a bit chilly, but it was fun seeing and spending time with family. Maddie and Maggie had a great time playing together.

That's about it for now. I will try to keep blogging every couple months to keep everyone caught up. Enjoy the recent pictures!

October

September and October went by so fast and I am behind on my blogging duties. That's what happens when you have 3 kids! October started with Dylan's 9th Birthday, we had a small party with friends and family and Dylan wanted and Angry Birds theme. Angry Birds is an app/game on the ipod/ipad that he absolutely loves! So I had to get creative with cupcakes, birds and pigs. At least he could tell what they were, that was what mattered most. Last month I also took the kids up to Columbia to EdVenture an awesome children's museum that we have never been to. The kids had a blast, there was so much to do and see, we will definitely be going back. Brendan had a den camp out with scouts a few weeks ago where he caught his first ever fish (he actually caught 2), he was SO excited about it. Our month ended with Dylan going back to public school. We loved our home school program and I would definitely recommend it to anyone but sadly our 3 years of PDD waiver funding for Dylan's home program came to an end and there was no way we could continue. He also needed to get back into a classroom with other kids for socialization. But so far things have gone really well. He has a great teacher, a great classroom, and great resource teachers, all at a great school. We're keeping our fingers crossed that all goes well this time around. And finally Halloween, this year we had a little black cat (Maddie), a tiger/cat (Dylan) and Brendan chose to not really go trick or treating but just dress incognito so nobody could tell it was him. As always they all had a fun time and got lots and lots of candy. Stay tuned for November and December.

Off to School!

The past 2 weeks have been very busy with everyone starting school.........yes everyone! Brendan started 5th grade on the 18th, so far so good, he really likes his 2 teachers. Dylan also started on the 18th. He is now in 2nd grade and this year we are doing a virtual school called Connections Academy, it is homeschooling with a teacher on the computer giving live lessons, assignments, tests, etc. and on our end there are learning coaches, myself and 3 of Dylan's current teachers/therapists. So far it is going really well. Dylan has to get used to more school work this year, but when he does he'll be fine. Last but not least, little Miss Maddie started school on the 23rd. She is a "peer buddy" in the preschool program at Laurel Hill Primary and goes for 3 hours each morning 5 days a week. She did really well her first week, she only cried the first day, since then, she's been fine. I really thought the separation would be much worse, but I am happily surprised. She is doing great and meeting lots of new friends. Her teacher is the same teacher that Dylan had when he went through the preschool program for 2 years. I am enjoying my 3 hours each morning being "Maddie free" and getting odd jobs done. The separation is good (healthy) for both of us:)

Other than school, cub scouts is now in full swing again and this year Andy & I are more involved. Right now we are doing the annual popcorn sale, so if anyone wants popcorn................

Next Thursday will be our 2 year "Gotcha Day" anniversary. It's hard to believe that it's been 2 years, how time flies. We are looking forward to celebrating another year with our baby girl!