New Poems and Progress

Ben has his second poem memorized for MODG Kindergarten program. I love learning these poems with him and they are really so lovely and sweet. And he is getting much more willing to recite for me. He will not recite the poems for anyone else. He tells Grandma that they are secret LOL...so that is why I record them.

He continues to do really well with school.  He is constantly scribbling and doodling notes and pictures on any paper he can find.  I found the below little note by my computer the other day on a piece of scrap paper.  I thought it was hilarious that he has picked up on all the politics chit chat around lately!!

I also find it interesting that when just writing on his own he sees no reason why letters in a word need to be consecutive!  Like how Romney is written over two lines.  This one is still pretty obvious what he is saying but often the letters will be scattered all over and I will have to untangle them to figure out what he wrote.
 

he often asks me to take a picture of him in action!

 He is about 3/4th through the first Little Angel Reader and workbook and has improved so much with reading comprehension and sequence....an area he struggled a little bit in when we started.

 Math is going great.  He is working on addition and telling time in his math book.

We definitely made the right decision to drop the religion recommendations from MODG.  We are reading the Catholic Treasure Box Books and Leading The Little Ones To Mary and he (and Anna!) seem to have a sudden awareness and new understanding for the supernatural AND their behavior.  Anna particularly loves the stories in the Treasure Box books about Little Therese.  And I was really happy to see that this Sunday when Fr. Woodrow mentioned Therese in his homily that Anna was listening and commented to Claudio about the little rose necklace I let her wear as a reminder of Little Therese.

watching Hurricane Sandy

9 Months for Buggy

Yes yes yes everyone's favorite little Buggy recently turned 9M.  It is going too fast!!  Even faster than usual!!

These pics of her on her dad's back are the very few instances of her NOT in motion!!  She is by far my busiest baby.  Practically impossible to dress or change her diaper.  You can't turn your back on her for a minute.  Just a few days ago she started using a little walker to to take her first tentative steps and she is QUITE pleased with herself.

She is adored by Ben and Anna.  She is a super snuggly little baby.  She had her well check and has been gaining really well.  She gained a pound since her 6M check and was 15lbs and 27inches long.  So she moved up a percentile which is great.  She loves to eat....whether being fed or feeding herself.  Developmentally she is leading the pack  ;)

Removing Anna's Tube - Not for the Queasy

Today is the two year anniversary of Anna's surgery to correct her Annular Pancreas. I won't wax nostalgic or sentimental. Suffice it to say she has come a very long way. Thursday she had a weight check and she had gained almost an entire pound since her last check a month or so ago. For the first time in her life she has not only maintained her own weight, but gained some. We had put off taking out her tube earlier this Fall because we thought she was teetering a bit, but after this great weight gain and the realization that something truly catastrophic, having nothing to do with why she originally needed the feeding tube, would have to happen for us to go back to using her tube for feeds. We assume she will have ups and downs with her weight, but they should be minor. So, what sign were we waiting for? We decided to just go for it. Let's celebrate this two year anniversary by removing the last reminder of all that Anna has gone through. :)

assembling the supplies...I swear I could open my own medical supply store.

one last pic with the tube in

ok two last pictures

removing the water from the internal balloon

I spared you from a picture of actually removing the tube!  Even I looked away.  LOL  All dressed in case it gets a little leaky.

Anna smiling to show you that it didn't hurt at all.

the kids had a great time inflating and deflating the balloon...its the small things.

So it should only take a day or two for the hole to completely close.  There is a chance that it will not close completely on its own.  If that is the case she may need a small surgical procedure to close it.  We should know in about two weeks if that is the case.

Yarn Along - Finished Cap Sleeved Top

Loved knitting up this little top and it knit up really fast.  A few changes and a few regrets: If I knit one up again (and I think I will) I will actually follow the needle change recommendations.  I knit the whole thing on 8s because I was paranoid it would come out too tight.  But it is too big on top (yoke, sleeves, arm holes) and now I see why she says to start on 6s and switch to 8s.  Live and learn.  Also I added 4 or 5 rows of ribbing at the bottom to keep it from rolling up....this I would do again.  But Anna actually seems to like it and she has become very picky about her clothes...so that is good news!

Next I play on starting the wingspan scarf.  I bought my yarn and needles last night.  Very excited to make another knit for myself.

I am still reading Emily of New Moon.  Only about half way through.  I have been so tired at bedtime I barely get a page or two in before I am ready to turn out the lights.

For more yarn alongs check out Small Things.

I am still

Heartbreak, Disappointment, and Square One

We received some pretty disappointing and heartbreaking news over the weekend.

The lady who was under contract to buy our house here in NJ, despite having a pre-qualification, was unable to get her mortgage.  So our deal fell through and obviously we have lost our deal with our House of Dreams in PA.

So, now instead of finishing up my last bits of packing for a move at the end of the month I am putting things back in some semblence of organization to prepare for an open house this coming weekend and more house showings to come.

The kids don't totally get what is going on, but they did know we were supposed to move into our "Big House" around Halloween....and now we aren't.

So we are back to square one....trying to sell our house.

Praying for our house to sell quickly again....

Praying it sells quicker then the house in PA that is also going back on the market...

So that it is still there for us when we are ready...

I ask you to please remember us in prayer for these intentions.

Yarn Along - The Holy Crow it is About Time You Finished Your Shalom Edition!!

Thought it was about time to take part in the Yarn Along again.  After finishing a Shalom, hating it, ripping the entire thing out, and starting it again I have FINALLY finished and I am so much happier with it this time.  Sized just right.  I used Chunky Vintage yarn.  Obviously I went with three buttons and I had to do some resizing to make it into an XL size.  It came out super cozy...now we just need cozy weather so I can wear it!!

I am about three rounds into a girl's cap sleeved spring shirt.  Hope to make one for Anna and one for Beatrice.

As for reading I am re-reading Emily of New Moon.  I had been reading a bunch of books about the education system, about the war on our boys, about culture, but with current stresses in my life I was finding it all too depressing before bed so I decided to pick up an old favorite and I have been loving it all over again.

For more Yarn Alongs head over to Ginny's wonderful blog.