We LOVE Daddy

I got a message from Aaron this morning asking me to take pictures of Valentines for him.  I've been thinking all day that I'd like to get them up for him so he can see them before he comes home.  Well with school and a play date (Thank Jeana!)  he may not see them before he gets home, but it's still fun to share!  A fair warning since I took these to document the morning for Aaron there are a lot of pictures. 

First, since I don't want to write a separate blog post for it, let's start with last night's FHE.  THE RETURN OF PETER PAN!

He kept saying, "Hat, Hat".

Arg!  love her girl bandanna

Baby Girl was as excited as the rest of us!

I was more excited than anyone.

The movie was great and so was the company!

 We were lucky enough to have Nate, Kristen, Braxton, Heidi, Oliver and Addison join us for dinner and the movie last night.  My favorite moment of the night was when we had all 4 kids dancing to one of the many songs in the movie.  It's so much fun to spend time with families that are in the same phase of life as us!  That and being surrounded by good people makes me happy!

 

 Porter sat and watched most of the movie, he was very interested. 

 After everyone left we put the kids to bed and went to work decorating for today, Valentine's Day.  In all honesty, Aaron decorated while I cut out hearts for a YW heart attack outing with the presidency ladies.  Thanks Aaron!

 The kid's LOVE gifts!

 

 After giggling, running away and freezing my butt off taping hearts to doors.  I got to work on Porter Valentines for class today.  Something from my years as a teacher makes it hard for me to give candy so instead P gave kaleidoscopes.  I wanted to have the valentines read something like, "I've been scoping you out, Valentine."  or "I've had my eye on you, Valentine."  Aaron felt they were both to stalkerish.  So simple it was.

  

Finished product

 

I took a Easter basket and tried to disguise it as a valentines basket with stickers. 

Valentine's Morning!

 

 

Priya was up first and I didn't think she'd be interested in the decor, my bad!  I turned around and she was crawling heart to heart until she could reach one and I was rushing for the camera.  

I video taped getting P out of bed and walking down the hall so you'll just have to watch that at home Aaron.  As soon as he saw his sister at the bottom of the stairs he rushed to say good morning.  It did my heart well to see him treat her so kindly on LOVE day.

"Hey, sis!  How's the bottle?"

 

Once he greeted his sister he had to take a closer look.

Where did they come from Mom?

I heard him say, "Heart" for the first time.

  

Then he had to tell me all about it.

He was a happy boy!

P's LOVE gift.  "Get it out?!"  He asked.

this isn't a great picture, but I loved that he held it up to show me.

Priya's LOVE gift.  I think she likes it, don't you?

JOY

Gratitude, "Is it really for me?!"

There you have it honey!  You really made their morning special, thank you!  

I just want to share how much I appreciate Aaron.  This next part will sound spoiled and selfish, because it is.  When Aaron was training for his marathon last year I felt that it was a one sided thing.  Meaning, I felt like he got to have a hobby and free time at my expense.  *ugh... listen to me*  Well Aaron is training again, but I don't feel that way at all!  If anything he's having to give more time to me because I have so much going on right now.  He never complains, unless my schedule interferes with running that is.  :)  He sustains me in my calling and it's a time consuming one, he lets me sing with a great group of women once a week, he lets me escape to the basement to work on homework, he is currently supporting me in a new hobby (it will remain secret for now in case I fail, best not share yet) and has let me spend 8 hours on a Saturday working in a kitchen with great friends for our Freezer Meal Co-Op.  He's a great guy and I really often feel I've asked too much of him.  He reminds me that it makes us both better parents to have things that give our lives balance and I love that he's like that!  You add into the equation that he's my best friend, that he makes me laugh, leads our family in faith, is a fantastic father, my eternal companion (I could go on but I'll spare you) and I'm one immensely happy girl! 

I love you Aaron!  Thanks for proposing and creating this wonderful life with me!  I'm glad it's you I get to share it with!  ~Megs

 HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

I hope you're feeling the LOVE

11:43 p.m.

What am I doing up so late?  Getting a little too invested in my young womens handout for tomorrows lesson.  I love this quote and this lesson prep has been very good for me.

P's Big Test Day

Yesterday was the day I've been sick to my stomach over for a long time now.  Preschool testing...(inhale, exhale slowly).  A big day that sets the tone for the rest of P's schooling...sorta being dramatic there... but it's important nonetheless.

Let me tell you about Mr. Sly here...

I have not posted an update post on Porter for 10 months now because I'm afraid someone will think me arrogant, others ungrateful, and maybe even a failure.  At least that's what my silly over-thinking brain tells me.  However, with yesterday coming and going it's time to do a Porter update complex as it may be to read.

Porter has continued to make progress and growth throughout this year, I just haven't documented it as much.  We continue to see bursts of success coupled with stalls and delays in different areas.  These change all the time.  For example yesterday during Porter's testing he was in a non-compliant mood,  making testing frustrating and disappointing to Aaron, me, and Porter's service providers.  Despite his orneriness we were able to push him through and he did demonstrate some of his skills. Here's what I can think of at the moment:

• Words: P continues to flourish in speech, in our eyes.  Is Porter on the level one of his typical peers would be.? ..no..  We still feel he's doing amazing.  He uses more words than we can count and we are beginning to hear 3 word phrases.  Here's the frustrating thing, we are primarily the only people who can understand him.  I was at school the other day just observing P during snack time.  A classroom aide, with only the best of intentions, asked Porter to say, "Drink".  He said it, but she didn't understand him.  She asked again, he repeated it again and added the sign.  He was so frustrated and I felt so sorry for him.  Articulation will be a major focus.  But words, even if only we can understand him, seems huge to me. 

• Gross motor: P's great on his feet.  He runs.  He can go up and down stairs with a handrail.  He tries so hard to jump, getting one foot up in the air, so stinking cute!  As I'm sure you've gathered from my other posts, he wrestles with other little boys his size and LOVES it!  He can kick a soccer ball.  He can climb to the top of the play land at Chick-fil-a and then refuses to come down (he is physically able, he just knows that if he comes down we might make him leave).  There are of course more skills that need to come, but I don't worry about Gross Motor much these days.  Which may bite me in the butt.

• Friends: according to his teacher Porter treats everyone like a life long friend.  He gets lots of attention because of this.  Today on our way home from school I looked back to find him waving and chatting with the man in the Subaru next to us at the light.  Happens all the time.  It makes me feel uncomfortable when I then have to interact with a total stranger through car windows. 

• Pretend:  Porter likes to pretend to do all the grown up things he sees Mommy and Daddy do.  My current favorites are feeding Priya and teaching her his flashcards. Makes me smile every time. 

Art time- yogurt paint

finished masterpiece

• Cognitive: Porter can match colors and shapes.  He's beginning to count 1-2-3-4.   The concept isn't concrete yet, often everything is "two", but he says it the right number of times when looking at a visual representation of a number.  Stacking is a sinch.  Intricate beading and threading is still frustrating for him.  I feel so blessed to have a child who loves nothing more than reading a book.  He has a shorter attention span than a typical peer, but not when it comes to reading books.  He'll read nonstop if you'll continue with him.  The #1 question we hear all day long is, "What is it!?"  Even if he knows the answer, he still asks.  Such a cop out.  I love to answer him though.  He'll answer yes or no to a direct question.  He loves nursery rhyme games like wheels on the bus and ring around the rosies.
• Self-Help: He can put on his pants and shoes (most of the way).  He's very close to learning how to put on his shirt, getting it over his head is tricky with short arms. :)  He can feed himself with utensils without spilling, if he hasn't decided to make a mess that is.  He can drink from an open cup with very little spilling.  He scored very poorly in this area, however, for not being potty trained.  That's my fault.  I'm almost ready.  I'm currently reading a book all about training boys and it's such a comfort because I had myself all twisted up thinking I'd missed our chance when in reality he's in the optimal window for a little boy.  Their muscles can take longer to develop for controling pee-pee.  This book also recommends training sessions, so it's not all at once which I think P will take really well to.  We've also been watching Potty Time to learn signs to help with communicating.  I'll let you know how it goes. I'm SO scared!

He also drinks the milk from his cereal bowl.

• Motivation:  Porter isn't as motivated as he used to be to just please us.  We have to hide tasks in play and lay the praise on thick to get him to work.  But he's always willing to give something a try.  It's the repetition that has been a challenge lately.  Also just because I say P can do something doesn't mean he does it all the time.  No, he's very stubborn like that.  We try not to let him get away with it but sometimes we're rushed and we just need to move so we do it for him. 

After the test was finished we looked the scores and I was a little disappointed.  They were low.  They were broken into percentiles, his lowest percentile being 5, his highest 39, the majority of his scores being around 25.  His teacher then explained that typical development is considered 16-84% -- HUGE range.  All children develop at their own rate and time, special needs or not.  If Porter didn't have Down Syndrome he would not quality for services because his scores would average out into the typical developing range.  He's doing fantastic in my opinion.

Since it inevitably follows that I'll be asked, "Does Porter really have Down Syndrome?  Does Porter have Mosaic Down Syndrome?" here's a picture of Porter's DNA and his extra chromosome.

 

As far as we know Porter does not have Mosaic Down Syndrome.  Every cell they tested had trisomy 21 and I don't really care to have a bigger sample tested done only to change his label.  Porter will develop how he develops whether he has Down Syndrome or Mosaic Down Syndrome.  My care and concern for him would change in no way if we had the test done.  We know that Down Syndrome and Mosaic Down Syndrome manifest and affect all individuals differently.  I know that I get caught in the trap of comparison occasionally looking at friends' kids (or our brilliant little niece Em, for example) and seeing all that they can do or have yet to do.  I didn't write this post to make anyone feel poorly about their children or to make you feel awesome because your 2 year old is doing more than my soon to be 3 year old.  I wrote it because I am tremendously proud of my son and all that he has worked so hard to accomplish.

Tangent:

I recently had a less than positive conversation about special needs.  While Porter having Down Syndrome wasn't in our plan I want you all to know, I'd never change that about him!  I often look at my calendar filled with specialist appointments, therapy, extra preschool, etc., and marvel that this is my life.  I never knew I had the strength to do this.  I also never knew of the immense blessings that come from having a child with special needs.  I overlook it all the time, but family members are always commenting on the sweet spirit Porter brings.  It's true he's closer to God and by being closer to him we witness that all the time.  There are obstacles, challenges and situations that are unique, but there are also many miracles.  I sometimes catch myself going off in DS talk with someone who has no idea what I'm talking about and I see the lost, terrified look on their face and I have to bring it back down.  I forget all the time that this isn't typical.  However, I think EVERY child has things about them that are challenging, trying and unique.  What about being a parent is easy, besides love?  Our experience might just scare you a little, but our lives aren't that different from the perfect little plan I had in my head before giving birth to Porter.  I have been taught that it's actually better than anything I could have ever planned for myself.  One of the greatest blessings of having Porter in the family has been learning to trust God.  I thought I knew what it meant to live on faith, I thought I knew what it meant to surrender to God's will...I was wrong.  I still haven't learned it 100%, but Porter has helped me learn to TRUST far more then I ever did before his birth.  I hope that I can portray to friends and family that interact with us closely how I really feel, simply because I'm realizing I come off the wrong way all the time.  I get super excited about everything and I just don't portray my good feelings correctly sometimes.  I'm not eloquent with words or sharing what I feel in my heart so that it's accurate.  I have gone to share things about our experience and I just can't, they're too sacred.

  Friends, I know I talk about Down Syndrome a lot.  I do that because that's a big part of my life.  I hope you know that it's a good part, it's a part I'd gladly fight to protect, defend and keep, it's a part that's more joyous than I ever could have imagined.  It is a blessing that I am so grateful for.  I hope you know that! 

When Mommy Cries

I could tell a long story  filled with "you should take pity on me" details, but I'm not going to do that because, honestly, I'm being over dramatic with myself and it is not that big of a deal.  We'll just do the short pity story.  My theme song for the day, "Chin Up" you know from the original Charlotte's Web and it was my mind set as well.    You'll see.

This is from a few days ago.  We didn't know what was bugging him yet, but cuddles are always a plus!

Porter had a rough night, we got him up at 5:30 to discover a 101 fever.  Lovely.  We kept him home from school, again.  School that we pay for if he's there or not. We took him to the doctor as soon as we could.  They found strep.  I have it too.  It made a lot of sense and I was grateful it wasn't another untreatable virus.  I was feeling pretty good about things.  After lunch and prescription pick up we were hours past naptime when we got home.  Porter put up a bit of a fight but compared to what his sister put me through it was weak sauce.  I went to battle with her twice and finally got her to sleep.  She desperately needed it, she hadn't slept all day.  I really wanted a nap, but knew this might be my only chance to work on my homework before it's due. (Did I mention I'm taking courses through the next year to help keep my teaching license current?) So I got 10 minutes into it and the door bell rings, the dog has a level ten bark fest and Priya starts to scream.  It was home health delivering our oxygen tanks for Porter in the event of a natural disaster or emergency where his compressor wouldn't work.  I've never used tanks so I needed the brief training.  Which equated to me doing my best to focus through the dog barking and my 2 babies crying upstairs.  I rushed to get to Porter as soon as the dude was out my front door.  Opening the door quickly only to realize seconds later he was laying right in front of it and I had just jabbed him in the ribcage.  I picked him up feeling sorry for myself, picked on, then ashamed of my attitude and I started to cry.  Then it turned into bawling.  All the while I can hear Priya screaming that scream of hers the gets under my skin and makes my temperature rise.  I was suppose to be comforting Porter but he pushed himself back to see my face and took in my tears.  He touched my cheek and softly said to me, "It's alright." (words I've never heard from him before) As he wrapped his little body around my shoulders.  It felt so good the flood gates opened.  Porter pushed back and wiped my tears.  He patted and rubbed my back while repeating, "It's okay, It's okay."  Which helped me get myself under control.  He jumped down and ran into Priya's room to help his sister.  That little tender heart was such an example to me.  Not to mention, exactly what I needed.  A hug from someone who loves me.  I never stopped in the moment to think that I needed him more than he needed me.  As I ponder on that thought I think I need to remember that more often.  I need my children way more than they need me.  Mommy lesson learned.

I took this while he watched Curious George this morning.  Wouldn't even hold his head up.

 

Now we're watching Curious George 2, ya know since P watched the first one while I ran around packing up for the trip to the doctors office.  It took 15 minutes but I convinced Priya she'd survive just sitting next to me and that she didn't need to be held.   Hopefully she sleeps well tonight because a nap sure isn't in the picture.  With peace restored I wanted to write this down.  I never want to forget that part in bold lettering.  I'm sure it wont be the last time Porter shows me the way.  My amazing child who knows what it means to love as Christ did/does.  I'm holding back the tears again, best end this. 

I'm so grateful for my sweet, sweet Porter Ray. 

Our Fierce, Ferocious and Feisty Daughter

We had a 9 month well-check this morning for Priya Lynn.  Just thinking about writing this post is making me choke up with emotion, so let's get on with it before I ruin the keyboard by flooding it with my tears.

9 month Stats: 

Height 27.5 inches=25th Percentile 

Weight 18lbs 10oz=25th Percentile

Head Circumference 46.75 =95th Percentile

We sure didn't do our kids any favors with the small size genes. 

Let me tell you about this little princess that has full hold of our heart. 

• I love her name.  Her father worried I'd never completely feel her name was right, even though he knew it was.  I didn't help things when I was on morphine in the hospital and called her the wrong name a lot.  That has all changed.  She is a Priya Lynn!  I love saying her name and hearing how eligant, unique and beautiful it is to speak.  I also feel that her namesake matches her well, just like Porter's does and that's how I like it.  Her Daddy found the perfect match for this girl. 
• She is going through a Cowardly Lion phase.  She has anxiety with strangers.  She also has great ability and I think she's often frightened at the situations she gets herself into.  She also HATES to fail and gets embarrassed easily.  Her doctor explained to me that she has a strong personality and based on my description she isn't feeling secure about herself yet.  He gave me some pointers and after spending a little time with her said he felt she'd come through this soon and do well. 
• Our pediatrician said as he summed up our visit, "With the exception of walking she's basically a 1 year old."  Maybe to his charts, but to me she's still my baby.  I had a great visit with our pediatrician today.  At well-checks he's very focused on the child the appointment is for but also inquires and checks on our family/Porter providing a good environment for development as a whole.  He explained to me how most 2nd children learn very differently than the first and learn through watching and mimicking their older sibling.  He also told me 2nd children tend to be very assertive, um... yeah she is! 

Cheesin' for the Camera

• Priya has a gift for language and speech.  Maybe this wouldn't seem so extraordinary to me if my first wasn't delayed in speech but I'm in awe of all the words that come out of her mouth.  The other day Porter said, "Ouch" for the first time as a way to express a located pain, a huge step to us.  Then on the same day Priya hurt herself and repeated my response, "Ouch".  It was ironic to me that they'd both make a big step with the same word on the same day. 



"Oh yeah, I'll show you again."  Practicing her grown up skills.

• She has the best baby cuddles.  If you're lucky enough to be the recipient of one you'll enjoy it.  Her arms wrap around your neck, her head falls to your shoulder and her nose nuzzles right in.  Close your eyes and let the moment seep into your heart because at the first distraction her head will pop up and her arms with be pushing to be released so she can go check out what's going on in her baby world.
• The girl has a curious mind.  In this aspect of her personality she is fearless.  She wants to know. (period)  If there is something she wants to hold, something she wants to taste, something she wants to read, play with, examine, shove in her mouth or see she will stop at nothing to get it.  You can't distract her from what she wants, all her effort and energy goes into her determination until she has triumphed.  It's a little tiring on us as her parents.  I hope we can be patient with her because this is a great quality I think. 

"Oh, I see what you're saying.  That's what happens when I stuff a bouncy ball in my mouth."

• She has 7 teeth.  Yep.  We hear, "Look at all those teeth." As we talk with ward members.

You can see the 3 teeth on bottom in this pic.

• She weaned herself this past week.  Her feedings became less and less frequent until we were only doing one feeding in the morning.  She starting having reflux from my milk and with only one feeding I didn't want to examine my diet to see why so we just stopped.  She loves her bottle and with 7 teeth I'm giving myself a break on not making it a whole year.  9 months is pretty good and we have better bonding moments during bottle feedings because she doesn't stop eating if we make eye contact.  Kind of a sad/good thing.
• We've been doing baby food for about 3 months and she has pretty much transitioned to table food now.  She doesn't like puree and wants to eat what we eat so anything that we can safely feed her we do.  Last night she piked up a spoon I had waiting on her tray for her next bit and she successfully fed herself.  

You're not seriously going to feed me that, right?

• She is ACTIVE!  This girl never sits in one place for any amount of time.  If she does stay stationary her hands are busy playing, banging and shuffling her toys around.

busy, busy, busy

• Because of the business she burns through calories and eats a ton.  She has 5 servings of solids a day with 3-5 bottles in the mix.  But she isn't gaining weight -- in fact her weight gain has decreased.  So we don't worry about the endless appetite.
• Priya's words that have meaning include: Momma, Dadda, Dog, Eat, Yeah, Yay, Hi, Hey and Bye-Bye.  So dang cute!  She says a lot of other things but it's just mimicking us.  My personal favorite is, "Okay."  She has even put words together before like, "Look Dad".  But I think she hears her brother say it shortly before her.  She tried to say Porter last night, so maybe we'll get to hear that word soon as well!  It's just incredible to me how easily it comes to her.  This may end up being a bad thing when she's a bit older I can already see the report card comment, "Talks at inappropriate times."  Aaron says she'll also learn how to say, "You're ruining my life!" sooner as well. *Nose crinkle*
• I'm still the favorite but she is a major Daddy's girl.  She cried when he left this morning for work and will squeal with delight when he gets home.  She gets so excited to see him she almost hyperventilates. 

Daddy's Girl

• Priya has conflicted feelings about her brother.  She loves him, wants to be like him, and thinks he's funny.  Porter likes to play though and he just doesn't completely understand that Priya doesn't like to wrestle like the little boys at school.  I asked the doctor about this and he offered tips to prevent it, but didn't think it would stop because P's, "Just trying to have fun."  Which was nice to hear that my boy isn't malicious but just trying to love his sister like he does his friends.  One day it will work and since my blog post admitting their rocky relationship they've had a handful of shining peaceful play moments together and this momma hopes they figure it out soon.  That's siblings for you, though.  Aaron and I both loved having a sibling close to use in age, it was a lot of fun, but we both remember fighting as well.  Who didn't fight with their siblings? 
• Lynnie loves herself a good beat.  Baby's are the cutest dancers.  She bops up and down.  Waves her arms from side to side.  It's darling. 
• She makes the girliest noises. Eh! as her voice rises and squeals and squeaks.  She's also really into smacking her lips, raspberries, fishy face, and this weird noise she makes as she sucks her lips into her mouth.  Silly girl. 

fishy face

• She has added to her love of cars with a, "Vroom, Vroom" sound that she busts out when she's playing cars. 

Loves her trucks!

• Just like we saw with her brother's development, her skills change focus and gross motor is taking a back seat at the moment.  Mostly because of the fear of failure thing.  She has been pulling to stand for a long time and even pushing a walking toy around with little support.  But when we try to show her how to cruise she gets mad at us, falls on her bum (which is so traumatic) and refuses to try again.  Which is fine, we'll spend time celebrating her efforts when she initiates those moments on her own and hope she doesn't give up.  
• She has climbed our small flight of stairs.  I was at Young Women's when she did it for the first time which was sad for me, but she did it again when I got home.  With this scaredy cat business, however, she gets up one or two stairs and is then petrified that she is stranded in her mind.  She just goes ridged with fear.  She clings on for dear life and bawls until we can reach her to comfort her.  BTW- Priya requires full-on cuddling for comfort, no pats on the back or being close.  She demands being held, which we love, it just eliminates our chance to show her she can do it and it's alright.

• The way to win Priya's affection is through graham crackers. 

She eats them so quickly.

• She's finally becoming interested in books being read to her instead of using them for a teether.  She has always enjoyed poetry and rhythmic pieces being read to hear, but books are creeping into her interests now.
• She is a good sleeper (knock on wood).  At this point in her life you can expect her to sleep 12 hours a night with one bottle feeding in there somewhere.  Uninterrupted nights from her are becoming more frequent.  She takes 2 - 30 to 45 minute naps during the day.  She toyed with the one long nap during a growth spurt but gave it up as soon as she was through it.  She also refuses to fall asleep anywhere but her crib, making church tough. The rest of the time, it's bliss.
• She enjoys other children and tries to be social with other babies her age. 
• She doesn't like winter or wind. 
• She's starting to laugh at things she watches us do, which cracks me up because we're not trying to make her laugh but then I hear her giggling and realize the humor of what's going on.
• We continue to try and help her let loose every once and awhile to have some good old rowdy house Gelter family fun.  She's getting better at chase, wrestling and family tickles.  She actually smiles now and laughs.  Maybe one day we'll have her instigating such actives. 

Headed into the action.

Maybe regretting her choice a little.

• She still is one of the best criers I know and she has figured out exactly what to do to get under my skin and convince my brain that I'm traumitizing my child by not giving her exactly what she wants.  I'm trying hard not to spoil her, but she knows how to push my buttons.  Sometimes I find myself vacuuming with her in one arm and think...how did this happen?
• She loves Sydney and he does very well with her.  She's gentle by nature with him and he is very affectionate towards her. 
• Her hair is definitely blond but it has different colored tones to it.  Maybe one day she'll have enough we'll know a little better what her golden locks will look like. 
• I have yet to mention how breathtakingly beautiful this girl is.  Her features are just so faminine, as are her mannerisms.  

• I love to make eye contact with  Priya across a room and give her one of 'our' smiles because it never fails, I get one right back.  She's so expressive with her entire face, but especially with her eyebrows.  They crack me up. 
 

Just like her brother she means everything to us.  We hold her close and soak her in because she's growing up much too quickly.  It's exciting to watch, but I find myself wishing for more time with my baby.  She's becoming a little girl and while I still have lots of older baby phase to enjoy, she's just moving through so quickly I feel like I'm having trouble keeping up.  We love this girl so much!

Priya Lynn--

We're so grateful you decided to bless our family by joining us here.  We thank God for you every single day!  We feel of your spirit often and know that you are a choice daughter of God and that He loves you very much.  We hope to be an intricate part of your spiritual life here on earth and that you'll think of us when life throws you challenges.

All Our Love Forever & Always, 

Mommy & Daddy

FHE: Febuary 13th- Want to come?

 When I can get Porter to watch something other than Curious George (P's current love and obsession) it's Jake and the Neverland Pirates.  We love this show at our house and I actually watch it with him because it doesn't drive me nuts.  I like it enough I'm thinking of throwing Priya a girly pirate party for her first.  Priya and Aaron are quite taken with Izzy. ;) So cute!  Porter waves to each character as they come on and at the end of the intro throws his fist up just like Jake and says, "Go-Go-Go-Go!!!"  When they sing, "Yo-ho Let's Go!"

Well... did you know this cast of toddler size pirates are debuting their first movie and there is a special guest star Peter Pan?!  Can you tell from my sloppy little day planner note that I'm pretty excited about it?  This will be our Fun Family Home Evening for February.  I know we're not the only ones who love Jake & his crew; it's Disney's #1 preschool series EVER and Disney have some good stuff.  So, let me know if you have a love of Jake at your house as well and maybe we can have ourselves a little Pirate Possie get together for the Premiere.  Yeah, you read that right.  I'm inviting you to the premiere of a toddler movie.  If you're a parent you'll totally be down with that.  I enjoy sharing a favorite from my childhood merged with a favorite of my child.  For the love of coconuts, it's pretty Awesome!

***No I did not get anything for promoting Jake.  I just like it that much***

Rumple and Ramble

In Blackberry Bramble!

This is a line from one of our most beloved books under our roof, gifted to us by one of our very beloved aunts.  Can you name it?  2 points if you can.  I look forward to reading that line every time this book is requested an average of 10 times a day.  Both kids just love it.  

hang on folks this post is like a ride in the laundry basket... might get a little loopy.

This post promises to be random; sorry for the jumble that is about to splatter from my brain onto this post, but please read, I'd like your feedback on the last part.

• Priya Lynn is feeling better and had a much better day. 
• Porter is still pretty sick but we found out today that his ear drum did not rupture.  There was a huge easing of my chest when the doctor told me that.  Then it came back after a few tests that one of his tubes is no longer working...This means one of 2 things: surgery or he doesn't need them any more.  I hope for the latter. 
• My cute neighbor and friend brought us dinner tonight after reading my last post.  I should learn not to complain because she always comes to my rescue.  We're blessed with great friends nearby.  When she offered earlier today I was doing really well, yet she insisted.  It ended up being a blessing because getting home from Porter's ENT appointment in the storm was very stressful on me.  The last 15 minutes were spent on the road near our home where people die frequently (not kidding), and I'm driving down it in a blizzard with both kids screaming.  I was very on edge when we pulled in.  To walk through the door to a delicious aroma was nice.  Thanks, neighbor! 
• Priya Lynn spent the afternoon with Grandpa Randy and I'm very pleased to report she brought out her best behavior for him.  She is a charming little thing when she's in a good mood, which luckily is becoming more common these days. 
• As I write this I'm listening to a new station on Pandora based on Debussy.  I feel like I've found part of me that has been lost and my heart is soaring.  Do you ever feel like you've lost parts of yourself?    I've been trying hard to challenge my thinking about myself and why I do things. It's making things more meaningful to me. 

 This I do know about myself and have never lost: FAMILY is and always has been the most important thing in my life.  As a freshman in high school we had to take these tests to classify us into different categories.  We then went through the list of categories and had to raise our hand for the one we scored the highest in.  I proudly raised my hand for family only to lift my eyes to see I was one of two people in the room with my hand up.  Always and Forever.  Here's a little joyful family moment earlier this evening.  

  I LOVE them.  I can't help but laugh, giggle and smile.  They're just so stinkin' cute and Priya's faces... she's so hilarious!  I love them so much it hurts.  I say prayers of thanks for them and the man creating the wind in their faces...Yep he's that fast!

p.s. in other heart singing news go read this.  Another friend has committed to adopted from Reese Rainbow.