We had another wonderful, memorable Christmas this year! The kids have been off from school since the 21st and we've been trying to do a number of fun things while they are on vacation. We took the kids to see Chipwrecked, which was pretty funny. The kids love going to the movies and enjoy getting their little kid snack box.
Christmas was a blast! On Christmas Eve we all went to church as a family, came home and Pops, Gigi and Uncle Scotty came over and spent the night. One of our traditions is to open one gift. It gets us ready for the big day, but it certainly is quite a tease... LOL.... Why stop at one present right?! The kids definitely wanted to open more gifts, but they knew they had to wait.
Christmas morning went by so quickly. The kids woke us up around 7:00 and we all came downstairs to start opening their loot. The first thing they do is only play with the gifts Santa left (not wrapped) so they can enjoy those toys first. They were SO excited to get the iPod Touch!! It totally made their Christmas.....
Pops & Gigi were extremely generous with the kids and the toys were all great!! We are truly grateful for all the love and support they provide all of us. The kids have been enjoying each of their gifts from everyone. They are also becoming pros with the iTouch.
This week, Stacey and I are painting each of the kids' rooms. I will post pictures of the finished product.
Great Grandma Utz arrives tomorrow for a week, so we will make sure to spend some time with her during her visit.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
The Big 4-0!
Yesterday was certainly a milestone; I turned 40! My age has never really bothered me so much and I don't mind turning 40 at all. Besides, it's not like I can do anything about it anyway, LOL..... The past few days leading up to my birthday, I have spent reflecting on my life. NO, I am not going through a mid-life crisis. I am extremely happy with where I am in my life; I am blessed with a wonderful wife, three amazing kids, a job, a house, friends and family. I have nothing to complain about at all! Life has been good to me for sure.
It's just so hard to believe that I have been on this Earth for 40 years already! To me, that is a long time and I am extremely grateful for the things I have been able to do so far and I hope that I get the chance to have many more years to do a lot more things with my life. I guess I should I start my bucket list now?! HA....
Stacey surprised me with a birthday party on the 10th. I had NO clue whatsoever.... What I thought was a get together with a few close friends turned out to be a party with even more of our close friends! It was great time, I really enjoyed the party. She certainly got me!!! I feel like I have been celebrating my birthday for over a week now. This past weekend, Pops & Gigi took us out for my birthday dinner at Olive Garden (one of my favorites) and then yesterday, we celebrated at home with the kids. I appreciated all of the Facebook messages, texts, and phone calls from friends and family throughout the day. It made me realize just how truly blessed I am to have so many wonderful people in my life. I feel very fortunate to call these folks my friends! They say people come into your life for a reason and I hope all of them stay for a long time. They have enriched me in so many ways.
Now that I am 40, I want to focus on things that I can do to help make a difference. In 2012, I am going to do just that. I am going to start by donating one of my kidneys to Gigi in January (I will go more into this in another post). I want to volunteer more and expose the kids to community activism; I want to do some big things with the community garden; get more involved with the kids' school; do my first triathlon; continue increasing recycling efforts in the region; looks for ways to help the environment, and so much more. I don't intend to do all these things myself, I want Stacey and the kids alongside me every step of the way and do some of these things together as a family.
Turning 40 may be just a number, but it is a milestone and I want to do something big with this milestone. We only live once, right?! My thanks go out to the Lord who has allowed me these 40 years on this Earth and for the blessings He has given me. I pray He will allow me another 40 years and continues to guide me to be the man He has intended me to be.
Cheers to 40 great years!
It's just so hard to believe that I have been on this Earth for 40 years already! To me, that is a long time and I am extremely grateful for the things I have been able to do so far and I hope that I get the chance to have many more years to do a lot more things with my life. I guess I should I start my bucket list now?! HA....
Stacey surprised me with a birthday party on the 10th. I had NO clue whatsoever.... What I thought was a get together with a few close friends turned out to be a party with even more of our close friends! It was great time, I really enjoyed the party. She certainly got me!!! I feel like I have been celebrating my birthday for over a week now. This past weekend, Pops & Gigi took us out for my birthday dinner at Olive Garden (one of my favorites) and then yesterday, we celebrated at home with the kids. I appreciated all of the Facebook messages, texts, and phone calls from friends and family throughout the day. It made me realize just how truly blessed I am to have so many wonderful people in my life. I feel very fortunate to call these folks my friends! They say people come into your life for a reason and I hope all of them stay for a long time. They have enriched me in so many ways.
Now that I am 40, I want to focus on things that I can do to help make a difference. In 2012, I am going to do just that. I am going to start by donating one of my kidneys to Gigi in January (I will go more into this in another post). I want to volunteer more and expose the kids to community activism; I want to do some big things with the community garden; get more involved with the kids' school; do my first triathlon; continue increasing recycling efforts in the region; looks for ways to help the environment, and so much more. I don't intend to do all these things myself, I want Stacey and the kids alongside me every step of the way and do some of these things together as a family.
Turning 40 may be just a number, but it is a milestone and I want to do something big with this milestone. We only live once, right?! My thanks go out to the Lord who has allowed me these 40 years on this Earth and for the blessings He has given me. I pray He will allow me another 40 years and continues to guide me to be the man He has intended me to be.
Cheers to 40 great years!
Friday, December 16, 2011
Christmas Greetings
We have all been busily preparing for the Christmas season and find it hard to believe that it is only 9 days away and we still have lots to do. We are not even finished with our shopping; well almost done, but not yet complete. Since our last post, we've been busy decorating, sending out Christmas cards, mailing out packages, and attending a few Christmas parties.
This year, yet again, we were graced with Pops & Gigi serving as Santa's helpers at the Twins Club Christmas party. It's amazing they continue to do this (going on 7 years I believe), and it brings so much joy to all of the kids. It's a lot of fun. This year's party was held at the local Field House where the kids got to run around and play on the field. Each child received a gift and got to sit on Santa's lap and each family had the opportunity to pose with Santa and Mrs. Claus. Below is our picture. This year Jack and Caroline got to dress up as Elves and helped hand out the presents. Lauren stood nearby and rang the jingle bells. She wanted to be part of the action as well and enjoyed her role as the bell ringer!!!
Each morning the kids continue to eagerly wake up and look around the house for Jingles. He's been in some pretty good spots this year! It's been so much fun watching them look for him. Lauren has finally understood the meaning behind it and has gotten into spirit of it as well this year. See below for some of Jingles' hiding places!
The kids are anxious to begin their Christmas vacation! I will have almost 2 weeks off and Stacey about a week, and although we are staying local this year, we hope to be doing a few fun things during the kids' break. Great Grandma Utz will be making a visit as well. I'm still holding out for some snow!!!! What's Christmas without some snow?!
This time of year is not only about the excitement of Christmas, but a time to reflect the true meaning of Christmas (our Savior, Jesus Christ), but remember those who have passed on and for family who live far away, and of our loved ones nearby. We thank you for being a part of our lives and may God keep you and bless you during this Christmas season.
This year, yet again, we were graced with Pops & Gigi serving as Santa's helpers at the Twins Club Christmas party. It's amazing they continue to do this (going on 7 years I believe), and it brings so much joy to all of the kids. It's a lot of fun. This year's party was held at the local Field House where the kids got to run around and play on the field. Each child received a gift and got to sit on Santa's lap and each family had the opportunity to pose with Santa and Mrs. Claus. Below is our picture. This year Jack and Caroline got to dress up as Elves and helped hand out the presents. Lauren stood nearby and rang the jingle bells. She wanted to be part of the action as well and enjoyed her role as the bell ringer!!!
Each morning the kids continue to eagerly wake up and look around the house for Jingles. He's been in some pretty good spots this year! It's been so much fun watching them look for him. Lauren has finally understood the meaning behind it and has gotten into spirit of it as well this year. See below for some of Jingles' hiding places!
The kids are anxious to begin their Christmas vacation! I will have almost 2 weeks off and Stacey about a week, and although we are staying local this year, we hope to be doing a few fun things during the kids' break. Great Grandma Utz will be making a visit as well. I'm still holding out for some snow!!!! What's Christmas without some snow?!
This time of year is not only about the excitement of Christmas, but a time to reflect the true meaning of Christmas (our Savior, Jesus Christ), but remember those who have passed on and for family who live far away, and of our loved ones nearby. We thank you for being a part of our lives and may God keep you and bless you during this Christmas season.
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Thanksgiving Blessings
We had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Since the kids were off from school on Wednesday, Stacey and I took the day off from work. Stacey took the girls to see the new Muppets movie; while Jack & I went bowling and ran some errands at Lowe's and Wal-Mart.
On Thanksgiving, we spent the day at Pops & Gigi and enjoyed way too much food and watched football. Aunt Jennifer and Uncle Larry were actually at the Cowboys - Dolphins game in Dallas, but we didn't see them on TV. We were hoping one of the cameras would have captured them with their sign. We ended the night with our traditional read of "The Elf on the Shelf" and the kids went to bed eagerly awaiting the arrival of Jingles!
Sure enough.... the next morning, the kids rushed downstairs to see who could spot Jingles first. His first location was in the window next to the fireplace hanging with one our angel figurines. Stacey and I absolutely LOVE how J&C still believe in Santa, Jingles, etc. It's just pure magic for us. We know this will probably be the last year we can get away with 'lying' to them about it. They have been hearing stuff in school and on the bus about how Santa isn't real, that parents are the real Santa, etc.... Christmas is all about the magic of believing and we hope the kids will understand and won't be too disappointed when the truth eventually comes out. Now we just need to make sure J&C can keep the secret a bit longer for lil sis!
We spent the rest of the weekend decorating the house, putting up the tree, and hanging up the lights. We did a few things differently this year and added more lights. We love it!!!! All of us love this time of year!
We are definitely reminded of the many Blessings!
God - for his constant guidance and unconditional love
Family - to our parents who have shown us the true meaning of parenthood and marriage
Health - for another healthy year
Friendships - for the many great friendships that have formed over the years and the bonds that have been formed. We are truly grateful for all of our friends.
Love - to my wife who has shown me love; to our kids who remind us about the innocence of childhood and unconditional love.
We hope this holiday season finds everyone blessed. May this Christmas be your best bet.
On Thanksgiving, we spent the day at Pops & Gigi and enjoyed way too much food and watched football. Aunt Jennifer and Uncle Larry were actually at the Cowboys - Dolphins game in Dallas, but we didn't see them on TV. We were hoping one of the cameras would have captured them with their sign. We ended the night with our traditional read of "The Elf on the Shelf" and the kids went to bed eagerly awaiting the arrival of Jingles!
Sure enough.... the next morning, the kids rushed downstairs to see who could spot Jingles first. His first location was in the window next to the fireplace hanging with one our angel figurines. Stacey and I absolutely LOVE how J&C still believe in Santa, Jingles, etc. It's just pure magic for us. We know this will probably be the last year we can get away with 'lying' to them about it. They have been hearing stuff in school and on the bus about how Santa isn't real, that parents are the real Santa, etc.... Christmas is all about the magic of believing and we hope the kids will understand and won't be too disappointed when the truth eventually comes out. Now we just need to make sure J&C can keep the secret a bit longer for lil sis!
We spent the rest of the weekend decorating the house, putting up the tree, and hanging up the lights. We did a few things differently this year and added more lights. We love it!!!! All of us love this time of year!
We are definitely reminded of the many Blessings!
God - for his constant guidance and unconditional love
Family - to our parents who have shown us the true meaning of parenthood and marriage
Health - for another healthy year
Friendships - for the many great friendships that have formed over the years and the bonds that have been formed. We are truly grateful for all of our friends.
Love - to my wife who has shown me love; to our kids who remind us about the innocence of childhood and unconditional love.
We hope this holiday season finds everyone blessed. May this Christmas be your best bet.
Friday, November 18, 2011
School Awards
In our previous post, we mentioned that all three kids received awards for the first 9 weeks of school. Below are some pictures of the kids proudly holding their awards! Way to go kiddos, We are SO proud of you!!
Caroline:
Jack:
Lauren:
Caroline:
Jack:
Lauren:
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Kids' Art
The other day Jack and Caroline decided to sit down and draw/color and we were amazed by the amount of imagination they used when designing their pieces.... It's nice to see their creativity developing. Rather than watching some of the mindless TV shows, or playing the Wii, or fighting.... they decided to just sit down and draw. It was nice to watch them do this. With Christmas approaching, we may need to consider buying more art supplies.
A school update: All kids passed the first 9 weeks with flying colors; Caroline made Scholar's List, Jack made Principal's List, and Lauren received her very first Citizenship Award! We are so proud of them! Way to go, good job kiddos!!!!
Jack's Masterpiece
Caroline's Masterpiece
A school update: All kids passed the first 9 weeks with flying colors; Caroline made Scholar's List, Jack made Principal's List, and Lauren received her very first Citizenship Award! We are so proud of them! Way to go, good job kiddos!!!!
Jack's Masterpiece
Caroline's Masterpiece
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Halloween 2011
Another successful Halloween had by all! We spent the weeks leading up to Halloween trying to think of how we could top last year's theme! Those who may recall, we were The Wizard of Oz and we had a blast with it! After much back and forth, we decided to go "old school" with our costumes and it turned out great. We did our typical set up in front of the house with our inflatable haunted castle, the talking ghoul, and a number of other things. Next year we talked about turning our side yard into a foggy graveyard. I also want to get orange sting lights. As you know, we just love Halloween!
Each year we are always amazed at how many kids come through our neighborhood, so this year we bought a clicker to count the number of kids. This year was a record 546 kids, we couldn't believe it!!!!! Our neighborhood is really one of the few in the county that has street lights and sidewalks. There are a number of gated communities that don't do Halloween, so most of the county comes to us for trick-or-treating. Which is fine, it makes it all the more fun! Stacey, Gigi, Pops, and Uncle Scotty stayed and handed out the candy and helped control the masses of kids coming through, while I walked around with Caroline, Jack and Lauren. We walked around LSV for 2 hours. The kids are definitely set for candy for weeks!
As always, we have a lot of fun getting into the spirit of Halloween. It's become one of our favorite family traditions. Let's see what we can come up with for next year! LOL..... Here are some of this year's pictures.
Each year we are always amazed at how many kids come through our neighborhood, so this year we bought a clicker to count the number of kids. This year was a record 546 kids, we couldn't believe it!!!!! Our neighborhood is really one of the few in the county that has street lights and sidewalks. There are a number of gated communities that don't do Halloween, so most of the county comes to us for trick-or-treating. Which is fine, it makes it all the more fun! Stacey, Gigi, Pops, and Uncle Scotty stayed and handed out the candy and helped control the masses of kids coming through, while I walked around with Caroline, Jack and Lauren. We walked around LSV for 2 hours. The kids are definitely set for candy for weeks!
As always, we have a lot of fun getting into the spirit of Halloween. It's become one of our favorite family traditions. Let's see what we can come up with for next year! LOL..... Here are some of this year's pictures.
Saturday, October 29, 2011
School Pictures
Look at these beautiful faces! This year's school pictures. Hard to believe these little faces we once held in our arms are growing up as quickly as they are. It's hard to imagine that we have 2 third graders and the little one in PreK. The first 9 weeks of school are coming to a close and the kids are doing very well.
We are now approaching the holidays and looking forward to Halloween - it's one of our favorite family holidays. We usually try to go with a theme and tried really hard to top last years theme (who could forget the Wizard of Oz ensemble?!), but this year we decided to go with the traditional oldschool costumes. I will post pictures next week of our costumes. Can't wait!!!!!
Then Thanksgiving and Christmas will be upon us. The next two months are going to be great!!
We are now approaching the holidays and looking forward to Halloween - it's one of our favorite family holidays. We usually try to go with a theme and tried really hard to top last years theme (who could forget the Wizard of Oz ensemble?!), but this year we decided to go with the traditional oldschool costumes. I will post pictures next week of our costumes. Can't wait!!!!!
Then Thanksgiving and Christmas will be upon us. The next two months are going to be great!!
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Twins Turn 9!
Nine years ago, our world became brighter and fuller with the arrival of Caroline and Jack. Over the course of these nine years, we have been filled with so much joy, unconditional love, adventure, and still yet continue to try to master the art of parenthood! It's hard to believe that nine years have passed since these two wonderful bundles of joy came into our lives. As they have grown, so have we and we have enjoyed every single minute of it.
Parenting is certainly the hardest job anyone has; but at the same time, it is the most rewarding. We wouldn't change it for a minute and have experienced a certain kind of love like no other from a child. Looking into the eyes of your child and to see and feel their hopes, dreams, love, fear, saddness, joy, etc is truly amazing and we hope we are able to help guide them into this big world and prepare them for the future.
I still find myself in awe that they are ours; they continue to remind us about the innocence of childhood; looking at the world through their eyes; experiencing their first wonders all over again; and so much more! They have also served as a constant reminder of how quickly time goes and how I wish we could slow down time. These nine years have been absolutely wonderful and we are so grateful for what they have brought into our lives. They have certainly begun to grow into their own little individual selves.
This year, Caroline and Jack wanted to have their party at Pump It Up near Ashland. We had a fantastic time and everyone really enjoyed themselves tremendously!! Even the adults had a blast. LOL......
We want to thank all of our family and friends who made this year's birthday special and were here to celebrate it with them and look forward to many more years of growing together.
Parenting is certainly the hardest job anyone has; but at the same time, it is the most rewarding. We wouldn't change it for a minute and have experienced a certain kind of love like no other from a child. Looking into the eyes of your child and to see and feel their hopes, dreams, love, fear, saddness, joy, etc is truly amazing and we hope we are able to help guide them into this big world and prepare them for the future.
I still find myself in awe that they are ours; they continue to remind us about the innocence of childhood; looking at the world through their eyes; experiencing their first wonders all over again; and so much more! They have also served as a constant reminder of how quickly time goes and how I wish we could slow down time. These nine years have been absolutely wonderful and we are so grateful for what they have brought into our lives. They have certainly begun to grow into their own little individual selves.
This year, Caroline and Jack wanted to have their party at Pump It Up near Ashland. We had a fantastic time and everyone really enjoyed themselves tremendously!! Even the adults had a blast. LOL......
We want to thank all of our family and friends who made this year's birthday special and were here to celebrate it with them and look forward to many more years of growing together.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Off to a Great Start
We are approaching the tailend of the 3rd week of school and so far things are going well. We did hit a little roadblock with Jack for a few days, but after much discussions and a meeting with the Principal, he seems to be settling into his new classroom just fine now. We are grateful to the Principal for taking the time to sit down and talk to Jack and help in anyway that he could. He was great and we are very appreciative of his compassion toward his kids at the school. We know Jack will have a great year.
Caroline is doing great and has made a number of new friends already (surprised?!, lol)..... she loves her teacher and we think she is going to have a great year. She is still a little bummed that none of her closest friends are in her class this year, but she makes friends quickly, so we have nothing to worry about.
Lauren is absolutely loving school and being able to ride the big bus with "Jackie" and "Sissy" and going to big school. Let's hope this excitement continues for 12 more years. LOL.....
Fall is starting to settle here in VA and we are looking forward to checking out some of the local fesitvals in the region, going apple picking, riding hayrides, getting pumpkins, etc. We all love this time of year. J&C's 9th birthday is approaching (hard to believe!) and we have a good party planned for them this year. It's going to be fun! We have a busy weekend ahead of us.... Pops' brother from TX has been in town visiting his son at Quantico and we will all be getting together this weekend for a family reunion/gathering. Should be a good time. We also have the LSV 5K / 1K run which we will all be participating in. Kids will run the 1K and I may run the 5K. Stacey and I also signed up to volunteer to help during race day. I will definitely run alongside Lauren though. Can't wait to get her started on running, now that Jack and Caroline have taken a liking to these types of races. We may end up doing the F'burg Turkey Trot as well.....
Enjoy the fall everyone!!!
Caroline is doing great and has made a number of new friends already (surprised?!, lol)..... she loves her teacher and we think she is going to have a great year. She is still a little bummed that none of her closest friends are in her class this year, but she makes friends quickly, so we have nothing to worry about.
Lauren is absolutely loving school and being able to ride the big bus with "Jackie" and "Sissy" and going to big school. Let's hope this excitement continues for 12 more years. LOL.....
Fall is starting to settle here in VA and we are looking forward to checking out some of the local fesitvals in the region, going apple picking, riding hayrides, getting pumpkins, etc. We all love this time of year. J&C's 9th birthday is approaching (hard to believe!) and we have a good party planned for them this year. It's going to be fun! We have a busy weekend ahead of us.... Pops' brother from TX has been in town visiting his son at Quantico and we will all be getting together this weekend for a family reunion/gathering. Should be a good time. We also have the LSV 5K / 1K run which we will all be participating in. Kids will run the 1K and I may run the 5K. Stacey and I also signed up to volunteer to help during race day. I will definitely run alongside Lauren though. Can't wait to get her started on running, now that Jack and Caroline have taken a liking to these types of races. We may end up doing the F'burg Turkey Trot as well.....
Enjoy the fall everyone!!!
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning
Just like our parents who remember where they were when President Kennedy was shot, we too find ourselves remembering where we were on this day when terrorist attacked the twin towers and the Pentagon ten years ago. I was working at D&R International and Stacey was working at TLC - the laser eye center. It certainly was one of the most horrific experiences in our lifetime to witness such pure evil strike on American soil and see almost 3,000 lives gone in an instant.
We were both at work watching the events unfold throughout the morning. Neither one of us saw the first plane hit one of the towers. When word spread around the office, everyone thought that it was a small cessna plane. However, we did see the second plane hit the other tower. Hijackers used these planes like an armored missle. I will never forget the amount of emotion running through our hearts and minds as we stood there watching both towers crumble into a pile of steel, debris, and dust. 110 floors came tumbling down in 10 seconds. It was unbelievable. At that time, no one knew how many people were in either building that morning. At around the same time, the Pentagon was hit by a third hijacked plane. "What the hell was going on?" was pretty much on everyone's minds. That is when most everyone started panicking....
Here we are and ten years have passed and memorials have been built to honor those who died on this horrific day, those responsible have been caught and killed, the USA still finds itself in 3 wars, and we remain forever strong and united! America will never forget 9-11-01 and the three of you will most likely learn about this in school as you get older; just like when we learned about JFK.
Let us never forget and continue to hope and pray that a terrorist attack will never occur on US soil again. September 11, 2001 is a day the world will always remember. On this 10th anniversary, let us stop and be thankful to all those who risked their lives to help others. May we never forget those who lost their lives on that tragic day 10 years ago. MAY GOD CONTINUE TO BLESS THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
We were both at work watching the events unfold throughout the morning. Neither one of us saw the first plane hit one of the towers. When word spread around the office, everyone thought that it was a small cessna plane. However, we did see the second plane hit the other tower. Hijackers used these planes like an armored missle. I will never forget the amount of emotion running through our hearts and minds as we stood there watching both towers crumble into a pile of steel, debris, and dust. 110 floors came tumbling down in 10 seconds. It was unbelievable. At that time, no one knew how many people were in either building that morning. At around the same time, the Pentagon was hit by a third hijacked plane. "What the hell was going on?" was pretty much on everyone's minds. That is when most everyone started panicking....
Here we are and ten years have passed and memorials have been built to honor those who died on this horrific day, those responsible have been caught and killed, the USA still finds itself in 3 wars, and we remain forever strong and united! America will never forget 9-11-01 and the three of you will most likely learn about this in school as you get older; just like when we learned about JFK.
Let us never forget and continue to hope and pray that a terrorist attack will never occur on US soil again. September 11, 2001 is a day the world will always remember. On this 10th anniversary, let us stop and be thankful to all those who risked their lives to help others. May we never forget those who lost their lives on that tragic day 10 years ago. MAY GOD CONTINUE TO BLESS THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Saturday, September 10, 2011
First Week of School and a Triathlon
We successfully completed the first week of school with just a minor hiccup. Overall, the kids seemed to enjoy the first week of school; they seem to like their teachers so far. Jack doesn't adapt to change very well and we have come to realize that he puts too much pressure on himself and gets all worked up over nothing at the beginning of each school year. On Thursday, he told us he wanted to switch classes (mind you, for no apparent reason!). Mostly because he didn't get the teacher he wanted. We both talked it out with him and hopefully next week will be better. Would hate to see a repeat of last year.
As for the girls, well.... they love it! They had a great week and seem to enjoy their classrooms so far. We are hoping for a great year! Lauren continues to be thrilled about riding the big bus with her brother and sister and going to big kid school :) She is becoming so grown up! We don't particularly worry about Caroline and her adapting to school; she can easily pick up a new-found friend off the street! She is such a social butterfly; hopefully it won't get her in trouble!
The kids had their first 'snow' day (without the snow) on Friday due to all of the rain we have had and because of Thursday night's storms. We experienced a tremendous amount of rain last week due to TS Lee which caused a lot of flooding in areas. For some reason, schools were canceled on Friday. Not quite sure how they will make this day up yet..... We'll see.
Today, Jack and Caroline competed in their second triathlon and did great! We are so very proud of them. Seems they have caught the 'tri - bug' because after the race they informed us they wanted to do another one. We have a local 1K coming up in October and the family will run the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving. Starting to wonder if we need to start planning our 2012 competition calendar?! LOL.... love the fact that J&C seemed to have found something they both enjoy doing and it certainly doesn't hurt that this is promoting exercise and good health at an early age. Way to go Jack and Caroline, we love you and are very proud of you. Lauren loves watching and cheering them on; little does she know in a few years, we will start working on getting her to do these too. HA HA HA.
Our Proud Finishers!!!!!
As for the girls, well.... they love it! They had a great week and seem to enjoy their classrooms so far. We are hoping for a great year! Lauren continues to be thrilled about riding the big bus with her brother and sister and going to big kid school :) She is becoming so grown up! We don't particularly worry about Caroline and her adapting to school; she can easily pick up a new-found friend off the street! She is such a social butterfly; hopefully it won't get her in trouble!
The kids had their first 'snow' day (without the snow) on Friday due to all of the rain we have had and because of Thursday night's storms. We experienced a tremendous amount of rain last week due to TS Lee which caused a lot of flooding in areas. For some reason, schools were canceled on Friday. Not quite sure how they will make this day up yet..... We'll see.
Today, Jack and Caroline competed in their second triathlon and did great! We are so very proud of them. Seems they have caught the 'tri - bug' because after the race they informed us they wanted to do another one. We have a local 1K coming up in October and the family will run the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving. Starting to wonder if we need to start planning our 2012 competition calendar?! LOL.... love the fact that J&C seemed to have found something they both enjoy doing and it certainly doesn't hurt that this is promoting exercise and good health at an early age. Way to go Jack and Caroline, we love you and are very proud of you. Lauren loves watching and cheering them on; little does she know in a few years, we will start working on getting her to do these too. HA HA HA.
Our Proud Finishers!!!!!
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Back to School
The school year has begun and a part of me is both excited, yet sad..... our little one, Lauren has officially started school. She is in Pre-K at the local elementary school where Jack and Caroline go. It's bittersweet for sure.... We can't believe our last one is off to school. This will take a few days to settle in for me to grapple with this realization. (sniff, sniff)....
All three of the kids are extremely excited and ready for the school year. We met their teachers last Thursday and each of them seemed very nice and we think they will have a great school year. Jack was very happy to see that he knows at least 5 kids in his class; one of whom is a close buddy. Caroline knows 4 of her classmates, but unfortunately, didn't get any of her close BFFs with her this year. I don't think it will be a problem, she is such a social butterfly that she will be making friends in no time! When we put Lauren in preschool, she adjusted very well, so we know she will do just fine today!
Last night before bed after reading books, I took the opportunity to really talk to Jack and Caroline about school and how most likely they will start to hear new things. I praised them for WHO THEY ARE and to not let others tell them differently and gently reminded them to make good choices. We read Jamie Lee Curtis' book, "I'm Gonna Like Me" and I pointed out a few references to convey my message. I think they understood where I was going with it. LOL.....
This year Jack and Caroline will be starting SOLs and this is also the year where the grading system goes into effect. This first couple of weeks will certainly be quite the transition adjusting to a routine and getting a sense of what their homework load will be like. We know they will do fine though.
Here's to what we hope will be another successful school year. Good luck kiddos, we love you and are so very proud of you!!!!!
All three of the kids are extremely excited and ready for the school year. We met their teachers last Thursday and each of them seemed very nice and we think they will have a great school year. Jack was very happy to see that he knows at least 5 kids in his class; one of whom is a close buddy. Caroline knows 4 of her classmates, but unfortunately, didn't get any of her close BFFs with her this year. I don't think it will be a problem, she is such a social butterfly that she will be making friends in no time! When we put Lauren in preschool, she adjusted very well, so we know she will do just fine today!
Last night before bed after reading books, I took the opportunity to really talk to Jack and Caroline about school and how most likely they will start to hear new things. I praised them for WHO THEY ARE and to not let others tell them differently and gently reminded them to make good choices. We read Jamie Lee Curtis' book, "I'm Gonna Like Me" and I pointed out a few references to convey my message. I think they understood where I was going with it. LOL.....
This year Jack and Caroline will be starting SOLs and this is also the year where the grading system goes into effect. This first couple of weeks will certainly be quite the transition adjusting to a routine and getting a sense of what their homework load will be like. We know they will do fine though.
Here's to what we hope will be another successful school year. Good luck kiddos, we love you and are so very proud of you!!!!!
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Happy Birthday Lauren
It's hard to believe, but our Lauren turned 4 on Monday and to celebrate the occassion, we gave Lauren a Cinderella Princess Tea Party and she relished every minute of it!! It was such a wonderful surprise to have Cinderella waltzed into Lauren's party. To see the faces on these little girls was priceless and just such a magical moment for all of them. Lauren's face immediately lit up the room and she was all smiles from ear to ear.
This Cinderella was fantastic! As soon as she came through the doors, she took total control of the room and opened up by singing a number of Disney songs, danced with the girls, and did face painting. I have never seen someone paint so many faces so quickly! She was a pro.... All the parents just sat back, relaxed a bit and watched. It was great..... Lauren definitely enjoyed the spotlight on HER day and was surrounded by friends and family. It was probably one of the best 2 hours of her life! LOL.... It was worth it to see her having so much fun.
The days and weeks leading up to her birthday, Lauren has come to the realization that she is no longer the little girl..... now that she will be going to 'big' school next week with J&C, she now sees herself as a big girl and is so proud. We definitely don't want our kids to grow up too quickly, but time is out of our control, and they grow up whether we like it or not. She will always be our baby girl no matter what!
To those out there reading this, a big THANK YOU for the gifts, the calls, emails, FB posts, texts, and well wishes. Lauren had a wonderful time and is enjoying all the gifts she has received. We love each and every one of you and are blessed to have you in our lives.
Here are some pictures from her party!
This Cinderella was fantastic! As soon as she came through the doors, she took total control of the room and opened up by singing a number of Disney songs, danced with the girls, and did face painting. I have never seen someone paint so many faces so quickly! She was a pro.... All the parents just sat back, relaxed a bit and watched. It was great..... Lauren definitely enjoyed the spotlight on HER day and was surrounded by friends and family. It was probably one of the best 2 hours of her life! LOL.... It was worth it to see her having so much fun.
The days and weeks leading up to her birthday, Lauren has come to the realization that she is no longer the little girl..... now that she will be going to 'big' school next week with J&C, she now sees herself as a big girl and is so proud. We definitely don't want our kids to grow up too quickly, but time is out of our control, and they grow up whether we like it or not. She will always be our baby girl no matter what!
To those out there reading this, a big THANK YOU for the gifts, the calls, emails, FB posts, texts, and well wishes. Lauren had a wonderful time and is enjoying all the gifts she has received. We love each and every one of you and are blessed to have you in our lives.
Here are some pictures from her party!
Monday, August 29, 2011
Outer Banks - Earthquake - Hurricane Irene
Goodness gracious last week was certainly quite a week for the East Coast! We started the week with our annual family vacation to the Outer Banks (Corolla). This year, we did our beach trip with the Steimer family and had a great time. We arrived on Sunday and the weather was great. We managed to get a few hours of beach time in, which was much needed by all of us! It was great to be back at the beach. We waited all summer and it was worth the wait.....
Monday, the weather wasn't nearly as spectacular as Sunday, but we still got a few hours of beach and surf in. We packed it up by 2:00 and took advantage of some of the ammenities the area had to offer.
On Tuesday, news of Hurricane Irene making its way up the East Coast started to make us think about the rest of our vacation plans. On top of all this, an Earthquake struck VA! Holy crap, really?! A 5.8 quake shook right in Mineral, VA which is located about 50 miles west of us. We didn't feel a thing at the beach and supposedly the quake shook a majority of the eastern seaboard. Thankfully no one was hurt, most of the damage occurred at the epicenter of the quake, but many of us were still left in shock that it even happened at all. Still unbelieveable.
By Wednesday, it was definite - Irene was heading our way. We got a GREAT day in at the beach. Jack used his allowance money to buy a skim board and all the kids took turns using it. They all loved using their boogie boards as well. They had a blast and spent hours in the water catching waves. It was great. While the older kids enjoyed the waves, Lauren enjoyed playing in the sand.
After spending Thursday morning watching the news, we made the decision to pack it up and head home. On our way home, Stacey received a text stating that there was a mandatory evacation for Corolla. Alas, we made the right decision. Thankfully, this year we decided to buy travelers insurance and hopefully we will get 3 days reimbursed! We arrived home around 5pm on Thursday and stayed local the rest of the weekend as Irene made its way up the coast.
Thankfully there was no severe damage here, just a lot of rain and strong winds. We didn't lose any power, no flooding, etc. We are thankful to have missed the brunt of Irene, but pray that those not so lucky are okay and will be taken care of. Irene certainly showed her prowess as she roared up the coast and left a lot of damage stretching from NC to New England. Another natural disaster for 2011. I definitely think Mother Nature is trying to tell us something! Clearly she is angry with us!!!
Prayers for an uneventful week. God Bless...
Monday, the weather wasn't nearly as spectacular as Sunday, but we still got a few hours of beach and surf in. We packed it up by 2:00 and took advantage of some of the ammenities the area had to offer.
On Tuesday, news of Hurricane Irene making its way up the East Coast started to make us think about the rest of our vacation plans. On top of all this, an Earthquake struck VA! Holy crap, really?! A 5.8 quake shook right in Mineral, VA which is located about 50 miles west of us. We didn't feel a thing at the beach and supposedly the quake shook a majority of the eastern seaboard. Thankfully no one was hurt, most of the damage occurred at the epicenter of the quake, but many of us were still left in shock that it even happened at all. Still unbelieveable.
By Wednesday, it was definite - Irene was heading our way. We got a GREAT day in at the beach. Jack used his allowance money to buy a skim board and all the kids took turns using it. They all loved using their boogie boards as well. They had a blast and spent hours in the water catching waves. It was great. While the older kids enjoyed the waves, Lauren enjoyed playing in the sand.
After spending Thursday morning watching the news, we made the decision to pack it up and head home. On our way home, Stacey received a text stating that there was a mandatory evacation for Corolla. Alas, we made the right decision. Thankfully, this year we decided to buy travelers insurance and hopefully we will get 3 days reimbursed! We arrived home around 5pm on Thursday and stayed local the rest of the weekend as Irene made its way up the coast.
Thankfully there was no severe damage here, just a lot of rain and strong winds. We didn't lose any power, no flooding, etc. We are thankful to have missed the brunt of Irene, but pray that those not so lucky are okay and will be taken care of. Irene certainly showed her prowess as she roared up the coast and left a lot of damage stretching from NC to New England. Another natural disaster for 2011. I definitely think Mother Nature is trying to tell us something! Clearly she is angry with us!!!
Prayers for an uneventful week. God Bless...
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Youth Triathlon
We are so extremely proud of Jack and Caroline for completing their first triathlon today! The interest began a couple of months ago when a group of us were talking about races and out of the blue, Jack and Caroline asked if there was a kids triathlon. I did some research and asked a few folks who we know that have kids who race and found a few races for the remainder of 2011. When we told them about today's race, they both committed to training.
The Youth Triathlon they did today required them to swim 50M, bike 3miles, and run 1mile. They both did a FANTASTIC job and we told them not to focus too much on what place they come in, but rather focus on finishing. They did just that!!!
In their age group (8-9), there were 9 girls and 3 boys. We think Caroline came in 5th or 6th and Jack came in 2nd place. We hope this race sparked an interest in doing more races. It was a lot of fun. Special thanks to Pops & Gigi, little sister Lauren, as well as the Huff family for making it out this morning to show their support and cheering Jack and Caroline on. It was a great morning. Way to go kiddos, Mommy and Daddy are SOOOOO Proud!
The Youth Triathlon they did today required them to swim 50M, bike 3miles, and run 1mile. They both did a FANTASTIC job and we told them not to focus too much on what place they come in, but rather focus on finishing. They did just that!!!
In their age group (8-9), there were 9 girls and 3 boys. We think Caroline came in 5th or 6th and Jack came in 2nd place. We hope this race sparked an interest in doing more races. It was a lot of fun. Special thanks to Pops & Gigi, little sister Lauren, as well as the Huff family for making it out this morning to show their support and cheering Jack and Caroline on. It was a great morning. Way to go kiddos, Mommy and Daddy are SOOOOO Proud!
Monday, August 1, 2011
One on One with the Kids
For parents who know all to well how hard it can be to juggle work, house, and parenthood, getting one-on-one time with the kids is equally important, but unfortunately hard to do at times. Life gets busy and we forget to do these things. We try to make a conscience effort of it, but just don't do it enough! Wish we could......
However, the last couple of weeks we have been able to get the one-on-one time with each of the kids. Two weeks ago, Stacey and I took Jack to the Baltimore Orioles - Boston Red Sox game. We picked him up early from camp, dropped the girls off with Pops & Gigi, met Stacey in F'burg and headed up to Baltimore. We had a great time eating way too much ball park food and watching the game. Unfortunately, the Red Sox lost, but we had a good time anyway.
Last week, Stacey and Kristin arranged a play date and took Lauren and the Kainu girls to Busch Gardens for the day. Lauren had a wondeful time with all the rides and spending quality time with her friend, Mikayla.
Yesterday, Stacey surprised Caroline with tickets to see Miranda Cosgrove (iCarly) in concert down at Busch Gardens. She was ecstatic!! After we all woke up and got ourselves ready for the day, the girls headed out to spend the day at Busch Gardens before the concert. When Stacey was at Busch Gardens with Kristin, she found out that iCarly was going to be doing a concert. We decided it would make for a great surprise for Caroline, who absolutely loves the show. Caroline had a great time and really enjoyed the concert.
It's definitely moments like this we treasure with the kids. Hopefully we can continue to try to do these one-on-one days with the kids. Now it's my turn to do something individually with the girls, since Stacey had her "days" with them. It's just as important having Father - Daughter time too as it is for having those Mother - Son times.
However, the last couple of weeks we have been able to get the one-on-one time with each of the kids. Two weeks ago, Stacey and I took Jack to the Baltimore Orioles - Boston Red Sox game. We picked him up early from camp, dropped the girls off with Pops & Gigi, met Stacey in F'burg and headed up to Baltimore. We had a great time eating way too much ball park food and watching the game. Unfortunately, the Red Sox lost, but we had a good time anyway.
Last week, Stacey and Kristin arranged a play date and took Lauren and the Kainu girls to Busch Gardens for the day. Lauren had a wondeful time with all the rides and spending quality time with her friend, Mikayla.
Yesterday, Stacey surprised Caroline with tickets to see Miranda Cosgrove (iCarly) in concert down at Busch Gardens. She was ecstatic!! After we all woke up and got ourselves ready for the day, the girls headed out to spend the day at Busch Gardens before the concert. When Stacey was at Busch Gardens with Kristin, she found out that iCarly was going to be doing a concert. We decided it would make for a great surprise for Caroline, who absolutely loves the show. Caroline had a great time and really enjoyed the concert.
It's definitely moments like this we treasure with the kids. Hopefully we can continue to try to do these one-on-one days with the kids. Now it's my turn to do something individually with the girls, since Stacey had her "days" with them. It's just as important having Father - Daughter time too as it is for having those Mother - Son times.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
We Have Our House Back
After hosting family for the past 3 weeks, we finally have our house back and we are all settled back into our routine. It was nice to have family here and it was great seeing everyone, it really was! We had a great time visiting with grandparents and cousins. Hosting for a long stretch of time is definitely exhausting though. We were wiped out every night! It was nice watching the kids play together and it reminded me so much of my own childhood when all of the cousins played together during the summertime. It was a nice time for them and I hope it's something the kids will remember. The kids had a very hard time saying goodbye to my folks at the airport. They didn't want them to leave! As soon as we said goodbye and got into the car, the kids were crying. We talked about it and I asked them to tell me what their favorite part of the visit was. I think that by sharing and talking about it, helped a bit. I do wish we all lived closer so that we could see each other more often. We may try to head up to Vermont in the Fall or next Spring. We'll have to wait and see.
We received a letter from the local school letting us know that Lauren has been accepted into the Pre-K program! Yeah, no more weekly preschool payments!! When we received the letter and explained to Lauren that she was going to be riding the big bus with Jack and Caroline, she went upstairs and put on her Princess backpack and was ready to go! She is so excited and ready!!! She doesn't even want to go to her preschool anymore and wants to go to the big school! too cute.... Hard to believe our little one will be off to school this Fall.
Six weeks left of summer before the kids go back to school.... We've had a great summer though - camping, summer camp, visits from family, pool, the Zoo, Kings Dominion, Thursdays with Pops and Gigi, movies, sleepovers, kids first triathlon in Aug., and our annual family trip to OBX in August. We've certainly created some memories this summer.
Below is a picture of my folks with the kids at the Fair. I really like this one!
We received a letter from the local school letting us know that Lauren has been accepted into the Pre-K program! Yeah, no more weekly preschool payments!! When we received the letter and explained to Lauren that she was going to be riding the big bus with Jack and Caroline, she went upstairs and put on her Princess backpack and was ready to go! She is so excited and ready!!! She doesn't even want to go to her preschool anymore and wants to go to the big school! too cute.... Hard to believe our little one will be off to school this Fall.
Six weeks left of summer before the kids go back to school.... We've had a great summer though - camping, summer camp, visits from family, pool, the Zoo, Kings Dominion, Thursdays with Pops and Gigi, movies, sleepovers, kids first triathlon in Aug., and our annual family trip to OBX in August. We've certainly created some memories this summer.
Below is a picture of my folks with the kids at the Fair. I really like this one!
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Family Visit
After almost two weeks of having family in town, we will begin our first round of goodbyes tomorrow. My parents were supposed to arrive last Friday (7/8), but their flight never left Burlington due to the weather in the DC area. My brother and I were nearly to the airport when our older sister called to inform us the flight had been canceled and they were resecheduled on a 5:45am flight the next morning. My brother and I literally spent 5 hours in the car only to have my parents not arrive. I got up the next morning, with Jack and Caroline in tow, to head back to Dulles to greet my parents for what will be a fun-filled week. Unfortunately, the time has come to say goodbye. We have enjoyed the visit and spending time with them for sure.
I know my parents have enjoyed seeing the VA and CA grandkids and spending 8 days with us. It's been a nice visit and we always hate to say goodbye. The visit seemed to work out pretty well and I think easier for my parents. My brother was initially going to spend a week in Vermont, but with airfares and rental costs, it just didn't seem to make economical sense; so my parents came here. I feel badly for my sisters who were unable to see my brother and his family this time around, but hopefully they will have the opportunity to see them soon because they haven't seen baby Julia yet and I know they wanted to see her.
We took my parents to the local fair, the National Zoo in DC, spent time locally in Frederickburg, had a sleepover, got a chance to spend time with both sets of in-laws, etc. As parents, we find ourselves saying "it's all about the kids" and for this trip in particular, I tried my best to get the kids together as much as we could. We wanted to be as flexible and seize the opportunity to hang out, because who knows when the next time will be. So, I hope the kids have had fun (I think they have) and it's been fun for me watching them play and interact with one another. Jack looks up to Noah; the girls LOVE playing pretty much anything; and Lauren tries to keep up with the big girls!
Hosting for a long stretch of time can definitely be exhausting.....both mentally, emotionally and physically. Routines are off, stress levels start to increase, etc... My brother and his family are here for 2 more days and I hope the kids will get to play together a bit more before they leave. I know Monday night will be emotional for the kids and I hate to see that. Saying goodbye to Grandma and Grandpa tomorrow is going to be hard enough.
I know my parents have enjoyed seeing the VA and CA grandkids and spending 8 days with us. It's been a nice visit and we always hate to say goodbye. The visit seemed to work out pretty well and I think easier for my parents. My brother was initially going to spend a week in Vermont, but with airfares and rental costs, it just didn't seem to make economical sense; so my parents came here. I feel badly for my sisters who were unable to see my brother and his family this time around, but hopefully they will have the opportunity to see them soon because they haven't seen baby Julia yet and I know they wanted to see her.
We took my parents to the local fair, the National Zoo in DC, spent time locally in Frederickburg, had a sleepover, got a chance to spend time with both sets of in-laws, etc. As parents, we find ourselves saying "it's all about the kids" and for this trip in particular, I tried my best to get the kids together as much as we could. We wanted to be as flexible and seize the opportunity to hang out, because who knows when the next time will be. So, I hope the kids have had fun (I think they have) and it's been fun for me watching them play and interact with one another. Jack looks up to Noah; the girls LOVE playing pretty much anything; and Lauren tries to keep up with the big girls!
Hosting for a long stretch of time can definitely be exhausting.....both mentally, emotionally and physically. Routines are off, stress levels start to increase, etc... My brother and his family are here for 2 more days and I hope the kids will get to play together a bit more before they leave. I know Monday night will be emotional for the kids and I hate to see that. Saying goodbye to Grandma and Grandpa tomorrow is going to be hard enough.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
California Cousins Have Arrived
My brother and his family arrived safely on Monday. After a very long day for them, they were pretty tuckered out by the time we arrived at my sister in law's parents house and were just going to lay low for the rest of the evening and try to go to bed early.
We came back home and hung out for the evening with our LSV friends and enjoyed some good food, conversation, and fireworks. It turned out to be a great evening.
On Tuesday, my brother and his kids came over to spend the afternoon with us. We all went up to the pool and had a great time. It was great to see the kids playing together. The last time the kids saw each other was Thanksgiving 2009. Boy..... have the kids grown! Noah is going into 7th grade; Kirby 5th, and Leia 3rd. Although we miss having my brother and his family closeby, it appears that they enjoy living in CA. Hopefully, someday they will find their way back to the East coast. I had the luxury growing up of having family and cousins closeby and I have SO many wonderful memories of family reunions, holidays, birthdays, etc.... I always wished the same for my kids. Unfortunately, our socity has become so transient that the family has become spread out, from VT and ME, all the way over to CA. I just fear that the kids miss out on some wonderful opportunities to grow up with their cousins. We just have to make the most of the time we do get to share together.
For now, we will enjoy the time we have with them during the next 10 days. My parents fly into town tomorrow and will stay until the 17th, we will all be busy going to and fro.
Lots of memories will be created and photos will be taken at every opportunity.
We came back home and hung out for the evening with our LSV friends and enjoyed some good food, conversation, and fireworks. It turned out to be a great evening.
On Tuesday, my brother and his kids came over to spend the afternoon with us. We all went up to the pool and had a great time. It was great to see the kids playing together. The last time the kids saw each other was Thanksgiving 2009. Boy..... have the kids grown! Noah is going into 7th grade; Kirby 5th, and Leia 3rd. Although we miss having my brother and his family closeby, it appears that they enjoy living in CA. Hopefully, someday they will find their way back to the East coast. I had the luxury growing up of having family and cousins closeby and I have SO many wonderful memories of family reunions, holidays, birthdays, etc.... I always wished the same for my kids. Unfortunately, our socity has become so transient that the family has become spread out, from VT and ME, all the way over to CA. I just fear that the kids miss out on some wonderful opportunities to grow up with their cousins. We just have to make the most of the time we do get to share together.
For now, we will enjoy the time we have with them during the next 10 days. My parents fly into town tomorrow and will stay until the 17th, we will all be busy going to and fro.
Lots of memories will be created and photos will be taken at every opportunity.
Friday, July 1, 2011
Blogging versus Facebook
It is amazing how quickly technology and social media changes. We started this blog 4 years ago, after the death of my childhood friend Jenna. I experienced firsthand just how connected people became to Jenna through her blog. People really connected to her, especially while she was battling her illness. We had no idea how many people were reading the blog, who she impacted, etc. I found it amazing that her blog affected so many people, some of whom she didn't even know! When we returned from Jenna's funeral, Stacey and I decided to start our own blog to keep family (near and far) connected and up to date on our lives. We really got into it and loved blogging on a weekly basis. However, we admit that we have not been doing a great job at keeping up with the blog; mainly because of Facebook, which launched about 3 years ago and has pretty much overtaken the world of blogging. Has blogging died?
I even look back at the blog sites of our friends who's last entries were easily over a year ago! Some still update periodically, but not nearly as often as they used too. No one seems to blog anymore because Facebook is so easily accessible and you can update what you are doing at the exact moment of any given day and time. It's crazy! I even find myself checking my Facebook app on my blackberry at least every hour to see what the latest updates are with my friends. It's that sense of being connected we crave. We have become technically wired in so many ways.
I like to keep this blog active and will continue to do so. I enjoy keeping folks up to date on what's going on with us (assuming people still follow this? Are you still out there?!). Who knows what the next big social media outlet will be after Facebook, but I think Facebook will be around for a while longer. I can do both blogging and Facebook! I do this for the kids in the hopes they will read the entries someday. I guess I should look into how to save this blog and the posts. I would hate to lose 4 years worth of our moments. I guess I should get on that. Anyone out there know how I can save the blog entries, print, create a book, or put them into a file? If so, let me know, thanks!
Here's to more blogging.....
I even look back at the blog sites of our friends who's last entries were easily over a year ago! Some still update periodically, but not nearly as often as they used too. No one seems to blog anymore because Facebook is so easily accessible and you can update what you are doing at the exact moment of any given day and time. It's crazy! I even find myself checking my Facebook app on my blackberry at least every hour to see what the latest updates are with my friends. It's that sense of being connected we crave. We have become technically wired in so many ways.
I like to keep this blog active and will continue to do so. I enjoy keeping folks up to date on what's going on with us (assuming people still follow this? Are you still out there?!). Who knows what the next big social media outlet will be after Facebook, but I think Facebook will be around for a while longer. I can do both blogging and Facebook! I do this for the kids in the hopes they will read the entries someday. I guess I should look into how to save this blog and the posts. I would hate to lose 4 years worth of our moments. I guess I should get on that. Anyone out there know how I can save the blog entries, print, create a book, or put them into a file? If so, let me know, thanks!
Here's to more blogging.....
Thursday, June 30, 2011
What in the World is Going on?!
I am not sure if many follow the news anymore because it is just so depressing, but lately, it seems to have gotten worse! What in the hell is going on in this world? There is so much political unrest, turmoil, devastation, riots, war. It's just constant and it makes me feel that there is no hope for any type of peace whatsoever. It truly is scary to see pictures of the violence that is going on in this world (Libya, Greece, Syria) and the devastation that the current wars have not only on people, but the Earth (fires, death, famine, massacres, etc.). The intent of this post is not to be negative, but it certainly has become an eye-opener.
Yes, living in America definitely has its benefits, but we also have our own troubles here too - homelessness, natural disasters, political instability (Republicans and Democrats in their constant schoolyard antics). I have truly lost faith in our government system and have come to realize that many of them have forgotten the 'people' who voted for them and are only out for their own personal political gains.
Seeing what is going on makes me speculate and worry what life is going to be like for my three children. We all want to create better lives for our kids and I hope the future holds a tremendous amount of promise for them. Right now, I am not so optimistic of what is ahead. My only hope is that nations around the world are able to find a common peace and we are able to have a government that we can trust again.
I recall growing up my grandparents and even my parents reminding us 'how easy we have it'; I now find myself saying the same exact thing to our kids. But, I then stop and think about this and question...... do they really have it easy? Sure, life's common conveniences have gotten better... but overall, I have to say that I believe life has gotten harder. I just have to remain optimistic that things will turn out okay in the end (I guess I should start praying more!), and that our kids will be okay. Is the future as bright as people say? Who knows..... I hope it will be.
Yes, living in America definitely has its benefits, but we also have our own troubles here too - homelessness, natural disasters, political instability (Republicans and Democrats in their constant schoolyard antics). I have truly lost faith in our government system and have come to realize that many of them have forgotten the 'people' who voted for them and are only out for their own personal political gains.
Seeing what is going on makes me speculate and worry what life is going to be like for my three children. We all want to create better lives for our kids and I hope the future holds a tremendous amount of promise for them. Right now, I am not so optimistic of what is ahead. My only hope is that nations around the world are able to find a common peace and we are able to have a government that we can trust again.
I recall growing up my grandparents and even my parents reminding us 'how easy we have it'; I now find myself saying the same exact thing to our kids. But, I then stop and think about this and question...... do they really have it easy? Sure, life's common conveniences have gotten better... but overall, I have to say that I believe life has gotten harder. I just have to remain optimistic that things will turn out okay in the end (I guess I should start praying more!), and that our kids will be okay. Is the future as bright as people say? Who knows..... I hope it will be.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
The Anticipation of July
As we get ready to say goodbye to June 2011, we are eagerly looking forward to July. June was a pretty good month for the Broughton family - Caroline and Jack finished Second Grade with Honors, while Lauren continues to do well in Preschool, and I had a wonderful Father's Day, special thanks to my beautiful and loving wife and wonderful kids! I have to say though, June went fast!!!
July will be another fun-filled, exciting month for us --- the kids are anxiously awaiting the arrival of their cousins from CA along with a special visit from my parents. This house will be bustling with activity and people, starting next Monday all the way through until the 17th. My brother and his wife moved the family to CA 3 years ago and the kids have only seen each other once since then. They last time they saw each other was Thanksgiving 2009. We haven't yet made the trip to CA yet as a family, but I have actually been 3 times (for work) since they moved out there. The kids do ask us "when can we go to CA?" I wish it were that easy to just pick up, buy the tickets, and go. Regardless, it is going to be fun and we will no doubt be creating some great memories for the kids. I can't wait to see my brother and his family as well as my parents. It should be a good time. I know after this visit, it will be our turn and hopefully we can make a CA trip in a year or two.
Once they all leave, we will then be welcoming Stacey's grandmother and cousin for a 5 day visit. So, there will definitely be a lot to keep us busy for sure!
It really is amazing, yet scary, just how quickly time seems to be going. I recall as a child, my grandmother reminding us of this fact. She was right! There are times where I wish we could just slow down and for time to stand still for a few minutes. I hate the constant passing of time, but it is what it is and out of our control. Time is but a fleeting moment and we should definitely cherish the time we have here on this earth. With work, schedules, etc.... time slips by. There are so many things that we want to do while the kids are still young and we hope to still be able to do them; but finding the time to do it becomes an everincreasing challenge. I guess at some point we just need to stop, drop everything, and just do it! I know we are creating memories and providing things for the kids to have the best possible childhood; but as a parent, there is always more that you want to give them. I hope they will look back and realize how good they have/had it and they will appreciate all of the things we are/were able to do for them.
July will be another fun-filled, exciting month for us --- the kids are anxiously awaiting the arrival of their cousins from CA along with a special visit from my parents. This house will be bustling with activity and people, starting next Monday all the way through until the 17th. My brother and his wife moved the family to CA 3 years ago and the kids have only seen each other once since then. They last time they saw each other was Thanksgiving 2009. We haven't yet made the trip to CA yet as a family, but I have actually been 3 times (for work) since they moved out there. The kids do ask us "when can we go to CA?" I wish it were that easy to just pick up, buy the tickets, and go. Regardless, it is going to be fun and we will no doubt be creating some great memories for the kids. I can't wait to see my brother and his family as well as my parents. It should be a good time. I know after this visit, it will be our turn and hopefully we can make a CA trip in a year or two.
Once they all leave, we will then be welcoming Stacey's grandmother and cousin for a 5 day visit. So, there will definitely be a lot to keep us busy for sure!
It really is amazing, yet scary, just how quickly time seems to be going. I recall as a child, my grandmother reminding us of this fact. She was right! There are times where I wish we could just slow down and for time to stand still for a few minutes. I hate the constant passing of time, but it is what it is and out of our control. Time is but a fleeting moment and we should definitely cherish the time we have here on this earth. With work, schedules, etc.... time slips by. There are so many things that we want to do while the kids are still young and we hope to still be able to do them; but finding the time to do it becomes an everincreasing challenge. I guess at some point we just need to stop, drop everything, and just do it! I know we are creating memories and providing things for the kids to have the best possible childhood; but as a parent, there is always more that you want to give them. I hope they will look back and realize how good they have/had it and they will appreciate all of the things we are/were able to do for them.
Friday, June 24, 2011
Lauren's Trip to the ER
Well, the insurance company probably LOVED us yesterday! LOL...... Per the previous post, we had taken Jack to the Allergist for his follow up appointment. Yesterday evening, we were down at the garden tending to our vegetables. The kids were playing and Lauren was playing with a neighborhood dog. Not too much longer, we heard a scream and see Lauren bent over holding her face and crying. When we got over to her to see what happened, her face is covered in blood. We immediately thought she was either bitten or scratched by the dog which may have resulted in a serious eye injury. I immediately covered her eye to stop some of the bleeding so we could get a closer look at what and where the injury is. (time check: 7:30)
I managed to get the bleeding to stop and there was a small laceration on her eye lid; but also noticed a slit right along where her eyelashes are. It is the weirdest cut we had ever seen. Although the damage was not as severe as we initially thought, we still proceeded to go to Patient First just to have her eye checked out and avoid any potential infection.
We arrived at Patient First (time check - 8:45) to have her looked over and they recommended we take Lauren to the ER because they felt the cut did need a stitch or two. Off to the ER we went. (time check - 10:00). By 11:00, we are finally seen by a Doctor who did not feel Lauren needed a stitch; just some eye antibiotics. We wait and wait..... 11:30 rolls around and the nurse comes in with some Augmentin to help with the pain. We ask where the eye antibiotic is. Nurse went to check..... Midnight rolls around, I go to the nurses station and am told they are still waiting on the Rx. Finally, 12:30 rolls around and we decide to leave. The doctor who saw us had been sitting at the nurse's station the whole time, blamed the nurses, never apologized, sat on his ass, etc. We just walked out! Couldn't believe it!!!!
We have already called the Patient Resources office to complain about our experience. Not sure if it will do any good, but our first visit to this relatively new hospital was not a good experience. Very disappointed in the lack of service we received there. We arrived home at 1am.....
Overall, Lauren is doing great and was an absolute trooper last night. She handled everything well, up until she had to take the Augmentin orally. That didn't go quite as well! LOL.
Below is a shot of her eye. You can sort of make out where the cut is. Not as bad as we initially thought; but we wanted to make sure there was no damage to the eye (cornea) and avoid the risk of infection.
I managed to get the bleeding to stop and there was a small laceration on her eye lid; but also noticed a slit right along where her eyelashes are. It is the weirdest cut we had ever seen. Although the damage was not as severe as we initially thought, we still proceeded to go to Patient First just to have her eye checked out and avoid any potential infection.
We arrived at Patient First (time check - 8:45) to have her looked over and they recommended we take Lauren to the ER because they felt the cut did need a stitch or two. Off to the ER we went. (time check - 10:00). By 11:00, we are finally seen by a Doctor who did not feel Lauren needed a stitch; just some eye antibiotics. We wait and wait..... 11:30 rolls around and the nurse comes in with some Augmentin to help with the pain. We ask where the eye antibiotic is. Nurse went to check..... Midnight rolls around, I go to the nurses station and am told they are still waiting on the Rx. Finally, 12:30 rolls around and we decide to leave. The doctor who saw us had been sitting at the nurse's station the whole time, blamed the nurses, never apologized, sat on his ass, etc. We just walked out! Couldn't believe it!!!!
We have already called the Patient Resources office to complain about our experience. Not sure if it will do any good, but our first visit to this relatively new hospital was not a good experience. Very disappointed in the lack of service we received there. We arrived home at 1am.....
Overall, Lauren is doing great and was an absolute trooper last night. She handled everything well, up until she had to take the Augmentin orally. That didn't go quite as well! LOL.
Below is a shot of her eye. You can sort of make out where the cut is. Not as bad as we initially thought; but we wanted to make sure there was no damage to the eye (cornea) and avoid the risk of infection.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Another Visit with the Allergist
Jack has his 6-week follow up appointment with the Allergy Doctor to assess how his allergies have been and whether the new asthma inhalers have been helping. Overall Jack has been fine the last 2 months, but we want to figure out how to treat and prevent the severity of his allergies come next Spring. Per the Doctor's suggestion, we have agreed to proceed with Immunotherapy for Jack. Starting this Fall, he will need to have 2 shots every week for 6 months to build up his immunity before next Spring. The Doctor is confident that this will work and help Jack tremedously. When folks go through Immunotherapy, the whole process usually takes up to 3 years. After the initial 6 months, we will assess if he will need to continue 2 shots every week, or if he can go down to 1 shot a week, then every other week, than once a month. It's a process, but one we hope will benefit him in the end.
Jack has been a real trooper through all of this though. We are so proud of him and see what a big boy he has become. Poor guy..... he had ear tubes at 9 months; had his tonsils and adenoids removed when he was 4; and now this..... I guess we should be thankful we don't have to keep him in a bubble! Aside from the tree pollen, grasses, and ragweed that he is allergic to, he also has a mild reaction to dustmites and cats. Eventually we will remove the carpet upstairs and put down all hardwood. We would like to look into new beddings for everyone to help prevent the spread of mites. If you have any suggestions, let us know.
Overall, summer is off to a great start. Camp starts next week!
Jack has been a real trooper through all of this though. We are so proud of him and see what a big boy he has become. Poor guy..... he had ear tubes at 9 months; had his tonsils and adenoids removed when he was 4; and now this..... I guess we should be thankful we don't have to keep him in a bubble! Aside from the tree pollen, grasses, and ragweed that he is allergic to, he also has a mild reaction to dustmites and cats. Eventually we will remove the carpet upstairs and put down all hardwood. We would like to look into new beddings for everyone to help prevent the spread of mites. If you have any suggestions, let us know.
Overall, summer is off to a great start. Camp starts next week!
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Summer has Begun
Two days into summer break and not bad so far. The kids had a half day on Friday for their last day of school and we pretty much spent the rest of the day at our community pool. Our HOA company hosted a Splash Party for the kids and this was followed by our Garden Club cookout at the pool. A fun-filled, food-filled, day at the pool and in the sun.
Saturday, we woke up early to plant the 5 free fruit trees that were given to the Garden Club by a local nursery, along with 40+ vegetable plants. I feel that the community garden is complete and it looks great with the new additions. Our community also hosted its first Farmers Market and it was a success. The Farmers Market will occur the second Saturday of each month through Sept. Some of us in the Garden Club had some extra vegetables to donate and we made $63.00! Not too bad. I am sure we will raise a lot more next month. The evening ended with a concert in the park and that was a lot of fun; listening to music, hanging with friends, watching the kids dance and play. Of course, a little bit of drinking was involved.
On Sunday, we spent the morning cleaning the house - IT NEEDED IT! We finally made our way up to the pool (YES, WE WILL BE LIVING THERE ALL SUMMER!) and stayed until about 6:00.
Yesterday, Stacey took the kids to Kings Dominion for a day of fun at the amusement park. They had a blast and were exhausted by the time they got home. Camp starts in 2 weeks, so we will be looking for things to do with them each day. Thankfully, Pops and Gigi have offered to take them on Thursdays throughout the summer. That will be nice for the kids to have some quality time with them. We are certainly looking forward to another great summer!
Saturday, we woke up early to plant the 5 free fruit trees that were given to the Garden Club by a local nursery, along with 40+ vegetable plants. I feel that the community garden is complete and it looks great with the new additions. Our community also hosted its first Farmers Market and it was a success. The Farmers Market will occur the second Saturday of each month through Sept. Some of us in the Garden Club had some extra vegetables to donate and we made $63.00! Not too bad. I am sure we will raise a lot more next month. The evening ended with a concert in the park and that was a lot of fun; listening to music, hanging with friends, watching the kids dance and play. Of course, a little bit of drinking was involved.
On Sunday, we spent the morning cleaning the house - IT NEEDED IT! We finally made our way up to the pool (YES, WE WILL BE LIVING THERE ALL SUMMER!) and stayed until about 6:00.
Yesterday, Stacey took the kids to Kings Dominion for a day of fun at the amusement park. They had a blast and were exhausted by the time they got home. Camp starts in 2 weeks, so we will be looking for things to do with them each day. Thankfully, Pops and Gigi have offered to take them on Thursdays throughout the summer. That will be nice for the kids to have some quality time with them. We are certainly looking forward to another great summer!
Thursday, June 9, 2011
A Look Back at Second Grade
The school year for Jack and Caroline officially ends at 12:25 tomorrow afternoon. They are very excited for summer to begin. I feel that each school year literally goes faster and faster. Where does the time go?! Since J&C began school, we have tried to make an effort to separate them because we recognize certain strengths and weaknesses in both of them. However, second grade was a bit different - the school year started off a bit rough for Jack in particular. He was in a very disruptive classroom with 15 other boys and about 8 girls. Particually, many of the other boys had a very hard time listening, being disruptive, causing trouble, etc. As a result, the teacher would yell quite often, which led to some anxieties for Jack. Rather than move Jack immediately, we asked that he give it a month to see if things changed. After that initial month, Jack continued to express his unhappiness in the classroom and we could sense his anxiety. Stacey and I decided to talk to the Principal and request to have Jack moved to another classroom. For some reason, out of the blue, both J&C expressed interest in wanting to be in the same class this year.
Upon further discussions with the Principal, who is phenomenal, (we love LCES!!!), and although the school tries to maintain its policy of not moving kids, he agreed to move Jack with Caroline. We are grateful to the Principal and the teacher for making this happen.
The rest of the school year was great for both of them. Not only were J&C able to be in the same class this year, but Gigi volunteered in their classroom as well. She did a great job with all the kids and everyone absolutely adored Gigi. A special THANKS goes out to Gigi for her volunteerism, dedication and commitment to each and every one of those kids. I know they greatly benefitted from having her there.
Caroline made Honor Roll the first two semesters and then Principals List the last two!! You should have seen her face when she received her 3rd semester report card. It was priceless and just brought so much joy to both Stacey and I. When Caroline found out she made Principals List, she literally cried from joy. All of her additional hard work paid off and she saw the end result! We were and still are so very proud of her accomplishment. She continued to do well and excell and made Principals List again.
Jack made Principals List all 4 semesters and we are equally proud of him and the efforts he continually makes at school. Below is a picture of J&C with their award, along with their teacher. At yesterday's awards, the Principal informed us that LCES made AYP again with scores in the 80% and 90% percentile range in all categories! That's a great achievement and a testament to the dedication to the staff and students.
LCES definitely has many great teachers and Mrs. Huckstep was phenomenal. She is such a great teacher and we are very pleased with how J&C did this year with her. They were both very fortunate and lucky to have her. So far, we have been very happy with the selection of teachers. Cheers to another great year and a fond farewell to second grade. Let's hope Third grade (SOLs begin!) will be another great year.
The Kids With Mrs. Huckstep
SO PROUD OF THEIR AWARD!
Way to go you two; Mommy and Daddy are so proud of both of you. Great job this year. We love you both very much.
Upon further discussions with the Principal, who is phenomenal, (we love LCES!!!), and although the school tries to maintain its policy of not moving kids, he agreed to move Jack with Caroline. We are grateful to the Principal and the teacher for making this happen.
The rest of the school year was great for both of them. Not only were J&C able to be in the same class this year, but Gigi volunteered in their classroom as well. She did a great job with all the kids and everyone absolutely adored Gigi. A special THANKS goes out to Gigi for her volunteerism, dedication and commitment to each and every one of those kids. I know they greatly benefitted from having her there.
Caroline made Honor Roll the first two semesters and then Principals List the last two!! You should have seen her face when she received her 3rd semester report card. It was priceless and just brought so much joy to both Stacey and I. When Caroline found out she made Principals List, she literally cried from joy. All of her additional hard work paid off and she saw the end result! We were and still are so very proud of her accomplishment. She continued to do well and excell and made Principals List again.
Jack made Principals List all 4 semesters and we are equally proud of him and the efforts he continually makes at school. Below is a picture of J&C with their award, along with their teacher. At yesterday's awards, the Principal informed us that LCES made AYP again with scores in the 80% and 90% percentile range in all categories! That's a great achievement and a testament to the dedication to the staff and students.
LCES definitely has many great teachers and Mrs. Huckstep was phenomenal. She is such a great teacher and we are very pleased with how J&C did this year with her. They were both very fortunate and lucky to have her. So far, we have been very happy with the selection of teachers. Cheers to another great year and a fond farewell to second grade. Let's hope Third grade (SOLs begin!) will be another great year.
The Kids With Mrs. Huckstep
SO PROUD OF THEIR AWARD!
Way to go you two; Mommy and Daddy are so proud of both of you. Great job this year. We love you both very much.
Monday, June 6, 2011
Update
Things have been crazy busy the last few weeks; but all good of course. The garden continues to keep us busy and it looks phenomenal. See below pictures. It has really come along since we broke ground in March. Everyone's garden is looking great and the community section is starting to form nicely. I can't wait until we get to eat our very own homegrown food. We still have more to do, and it will eventually all come together. We want to build an Arbor near the entrance; we want to do a trellis over the herb garden, and will at some point build a shed. I hope this garden will continue for many years.
Over Memorial Day weekend, we took the kids camping to the Charlottesville KOA. We went with another family here from LSV and had a great time. If you haven't already seen the pictures on Stacey's FB Page, I encourage you to do so. We had a lot of fun. On Friday when we arrived, I set up our tents and as soon as they were both up, it downpoured. It rained for a little over an hour. Of course, my pillow and side of the tent got wet. Thankfully the rest of the weekend turned out nice. The kids got to swim in the pool, play on the playground, went for walks, and we even rented the little buggies. It was a lot of fun. We went to a local winery, Jefferson Vineyards, near Monticello and had a picnic. Such beautiful country over there.
Our community pool opened over Memorial Day weekend and we came home a day early so the kids could enjoy some time in our pool. Ah..... it is so nice to have it opened again. We love our community pool. I would have to say that it is the best community pool in the area (the best I have seen!).
The kids are getting ready to close another chapter on their school year. Second grade is coming to a close. It is so hard to believe we are going to have Third graders this Fall. Seems like each year passes by more and more quickly. Hopefully Lauren will be able to get into the Pre-K program too. I already know that it's going to be hard on us watching her get on that bus for the first time. We are certainly ready for the summer to begin though. Aside from summer camp, we do have a few things planned, but are most anxiously awaiting the arrival of my brother and his family to visit us in July. The kids cannot wait to see their cousins!!
Over Memorial Day weekend, we took the kids camping to the Charlottesville KOA. We went with another family here from LSV and had a great time. If you haven't already seen the pictures on Stacey's FB Page, I encourage you to do so. We had a lot of fun. On Friday when we arrived, I set up our tents and as soon as they were both up, it downpoured. It rained for a little over an hour. Of course, my pillow and side of the tent got wet. Thankfully the rest of the weekend turned out nice. The kids got to swim in the pool, play on the playground, went for walks, and we even rented the little buggies. It was a lot of fun. We went to a local winery, Jefferson Vineyards, near Monticello and had a picnic. Such beautiful country over there.
Our community pool opened over Memorial Day weekend and we came home a day early so the kids could enjoy some time in our pool. Ah..... it is so nice to have it opened again. We love our community pool. I would have to say that it is the best community pool in the area (the best I have seen!).
The kids are getting ready to close another chapter on their school year. Second grade is coming to a close. It is so hard to believe we are going to have Third graders this Fall. Seems like each year passes by more and more quickly. Hopefully Lauren will be able to get into the Pre-K program too. I already know that it's going to be hard on us watching her get on that bus for the first time. We are certainly ready for the summer to begin though. Aside from summer camp, we do have a few things planned, but are most anxiously awaiting the arrival of my brother and his family to visit us in July. The kids cannot wait to see their cousins!!
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Jack's Allergies
As many of you know, Jack has suffered from allergies for easily the past 3 years. Each Spring, he is just absolutely miserable. He can't play outside at recess with his school friends, he needs his nebulizer treatments at least 3 times a day, he has trouble breathing, etc...... he is just miserable. We had series of allergy tests run on both Jack and Caroline about 3 years ago. From those initial tests, we found that Jack was allergic to pollen; Caroline allergic to chocolate and tomato paste. What we didn't know about Jack, was what types of pollen. So, Stacey and I made the decision a few weeks ago to have Jack go through another series of allergy tests to get more answers.
We brought him to a local Allergy Specialist, who was phenomenal, and as you will see from the picture, they redid all the tests. He is allergic to ALL tree pollen, grasses and weeds; cats; and dustmites. Through further discussions with the doctor, he recommended that Jack use an inhaler; and even suggested that we consider doing Immunotherapy, which will require Jack to receive allergy shots for 3 years. This certainly brought back memories for me, as I had to undergo the same thing when I was his age. I can still vividly recall the needle pricks on my back and having to get my allergy shots on a weekly basis. Not fun!
Jack was a trooper through it all and we are certainly glad that we had this done and I think now that we are better educated on the extent of his allergies, we are better prepared on how to deal with them. I think we will proceed with the Immunotherapy this summer. That way, come next Spring, his reaction to the allergies will be less severe. We hope anyway!!
I can't say enough good things about this doctor and his practice. They were all wonderful and took the time to talk directly to Jack, explain the process, ease his mind and fears, etc. They were just wonderful. It made this process much easier.
We brought him to a local Allergy Specialist, who was phenomenal, and as you will see from the picture, they redid all the tests. He is allergic to ALL tree pollen, grasses and weeds; cats; and dustmites. Through further discussions with the doctor, he recommended that Jack use an inhaler; and even suggested that we consider doing Immunotherapy, which will require Jack to receive allergy shots for 3 years. This certainly brought back memories for me, as I had to undergo the same thing when I was his age. I can still vividly recall the needle pricks on my back and having to get my allergy shots on a weekly basis. Not fun!
Jack was a trooper through it all and we are certainly glad that we had this done and I think now that we are better educated on the extent of his allergies, we are better prepared on how to deal with them. I think we will proceed with the Immunotherapy this summer. That way, come next Spring, his reaction to the allergies will be less severe. We hope anyway!!
I can't say enough good things about this doctor and his practice. They were all wonderful and took the time to talk directly to Jack, explain the process, ease his mind and fears, etc. They were just wonderful. It made this process much easier.
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