Speech and Such....

Lydia did well with her first speech therapy lesson. I unfortunately did not get to meet Ms. Betsy, missed her by 5 minutes. Maybe next time. Lydia has to work on her F sounds. She skips them. So we try to bite are lip as we say Fish or Frog. So it seems to be working. She did a fun snowman activity with her.

Lydia came down with a cold the night of her birthday party and then Owen missed school today because of it. Hopefully these kids get better. I'd like to keep them in a bubble. So because Owen missed today, we didn't get his report card. Guess we will hope it comes home with him tomorrow. That stuff is exciting to me. I love when he brings things home for me to read, same with Lydia.

They both went to the pediatrician on Monday for the 4 year and 6 year check ups. Both gained and grew like they should. Lydia grew 3 1/2 " and gained 6 lbs. Owen grew 3" and gained 8lbs. They both passed their hearing and vision screenings YAY! Next visit is for flu vaccinations in the fall and then next January we go for 5 and 7 year visits. Never thought I would say I had children these kid's ages. AMAZING how fast it goes. Owen had a dental exam at school Tuesday, and just has a tooth that supposedly needs looked at. Guess it's a good thing we have an appointment for a routine cleaning next week. The paper did not indicate which tooth, which I think it should have. odd!!!

Lydia got to try on her dance costume last week, I can't remember if I mentioned that. We're not to share pictures yet, because the costumes not complete and it will give away the excitement. But I forgot to mention that we did NOT have to pay for her costume, tights or hair accessory because we raised enough money in candy bar sales!! And we actually have a nice size credit. I'm so excited!!!!

I think I am catching the kids cold. Yesterday I just didn't feel well. Today I have a scratchy throat, sore ears and sneezing/runny nose. :(  I started taking a vitamin, so hoping to stay on that and maybe it'll help me steer clear of some of the winter germies.

today I was gone from home for 12 hrs , I don't necessarily like that. But I did some errands after work and then went to a meeting, for myself!

Tomorrow is my "friday" hahaha......But Friday is filled with meal delivery to a friend, errands, Owen needs to buy a birthday gift for a party Saturday. So I'm trying to figure out our Friday.

Lydia's Birthday Party

Because Lydia's birthday is December 30th, we always celebrate with my family after the fact. It gives us a reason to get together in January and allows all the chaos to calm down before more comes.

Last night we celebrated Lydia's 4th Birthday in our basement. I am very thankful for such a full, clean basement. If it weren't for water issues and it being chillier, Id contemplate making a family room down there because I feel like we're outgrowing our house. There are 3 rooms in the back of the house (bedrooms and bathroom) and in the front of the house the living room and kitchen, which really are a great size.

Here are a few pics from last night. Lydia had a great time as did all the other children. I think the adults had a good time playing games too.

After everyone left, we started getting ready for bed and I noticed Lydia's voice sounding funny. She cried through the night, barked/coughed and is sneezing and is sick today :( We did so well. If you know us, we (the kids) had colds 2 in September, once in October and November, then I was plagued with the flu bug the week before Christmas, then Lydia got it into the New Year. So it felt as if we were sick all the time. So I recalled to a few people "YAY We haven't been sick since Jan.3" Yeah well I totally jinxed myself. DISAPPOINTING!!!

She is so go to school tomorrow, start speech therapy and the kids have their yearly check ups. We don't have time for sickness. I just hope that if the rest of us are going to get it that we get it and get on with it so we aren't sick for our trip in February. I know I'm asking for alot.

Today has been filled with cleaning up after the party, laundry, dishes, sweeping, getting ready for a new week, packing away 2011 paperwork/bills,etc. I guess that's why we didn't really have any plans for today. I like a lazy Sunday.

Troy and his parents are working very hard getting ready for the inspectors who are supposed to be coming this week sometime. I pray it all goes well.

We are very thankful for our family and friends who joined us last night. Thankful for being well for a few weeks. Thankful for a warm house and this day to be able to stay home and get prepared for the week ahead of us.

Id ask for a silent prayer I'm starting something new this week, and am going to need lots of prayers specifically for strength to stay on task and stay focused. I will update you on this in about a week and a half.

And more snow....

I'm curious to know how much more snow we got last night. I like the snow don't get me wrong. It's just if I have to travel somewhere in it, be there at a certain time and am running behind. That's when the snow is an issue for me.

Of course I go back to work and it starts snowing like every other day!!!!

It wasn't too bad getting to work. No major oopppsys.

Wednesday I left a few minutes early, made it on time, but the roads were rough and slick from the freeze overnight. Thursday it took me 40 minutes to get to work, 50 to get back home, 40 to get to Greenville for dance class and another 40 to get back home. My math may be a little wrong, but i thought I had calculated 180 minutes of driving on Thursday. Geez. And I'm not even a taxi driver to get paid for that.
Thursday I worked, then Lydia had dance. It wasn't too bad driving home from work to get Lydia. Then we got about 3/4 the way to Greenville and the snow really started coming down. Believe it or not, there was only one little girl missing from Lydia's dance class. WOW!!!

Lydia got to try on her costume for her dance recital. (Mark your calendar's for Sat May 19). We are super excited. She loves dance and enjoys being around other little girls instead of little boys, which is pretty much the census of our friends. Lydia looked very very cute. I cannot wait to see the final product (remaining part of costume, hair,makeup,etc). EXCITING> And we raised enough money selling candy bars we didn't have to pay a CENT for her costume, tights, hair accessory,etc. YAY US!!!! I cannot reveal her costume, as it's a secret and we want you to be completely surprised for the recital.  Lydia was a bit miffed we weren't allowed to bring it home, but then again she doesn't understand.

Friday I worked and knew Grammie was off work. So I asked Lydia if she wanted to go to Grandma's for the day or to Grammie's alone (No Owen and No Savanna). She was soooooooooooo excited! So Grammie and Lydia got to spend the day together. She had a great time.

Owen has been staying home w/Daddy while we go to dance. Daddy's home, so they may as well stay home get dinner, homework, and bedtime routine started til we get home. Thursday's certainly are different in our house.

So we're starting to get ready for Lydia's birthday party today, and I had this crazy notion in my head to make the cakes myself. Well last night after working 3 days, all that driving, the kids in the grocery store "mom, mom, mom, mommy, mom, mooooom, can i get this, ohh i like that". I caved and bought the kids cupcakes, and 2 other smaller cakes.....I was too stressed and knew I couldn't get 2 cakes nicely made today and get ready....I know laziness.....I wanna say it's being smart so I don't get too stressed out! right?

Alright well Id better start getting motivated to get this house in order and us ready. Will post pictures tonight or tomorrow of the party.

Got behind a few days....it might take a while for this one. sorry

Owen received a paper from school telling us about the Lakeview School District kids collecting Penny's. So Owen decided to take on the challenge. It was for Coach's Vs. Cancer. The Lakeview Ball Team is raising funds for American Cancer Society. He was able to collect 2 full peanut butter jars with the help from Aunt Joanne, Mommy & Daddy, Aunt Mary, Aunt Joan, Mickey (from SRHS) and Grammie. He was so excited to take these to school on Friday that he forgot it was 'Show And Tell' Day. We didn't realize our mistake until Monday. Guess it was more important to raise money for Cancer Research. He had a blast. Luckily it was yucky out and daddy was able to take Owen and his load of pennies to school that day.

Then Lydia came home with a note as well last week asking for help from the preschool children's families to collect "groceries for the kids play kitchen". So all these packages are empty, cleaned and at Lydia's daycare now for the children to play with in their pretend grocery store and kitchen. What a cute and clever idea. We enjoyed gathering these items all weekend long.

Friday January 13 brought us some cold, windy, nasty weather....It didn't keep my two inside. It was 16 degrees as we waited for Owen to get off the school bus. Lydia and I were outside a total of half an hour. Owen was mad he was out only 15 minutes. But it was very windy. Our cheeks were very red when we came in. Owen had decided the night  before what our dinner would be.....his favorite....grilled cheese and tomato soup. So that was nice to warm us back up.

Tomorrow I return to work after being off for 11 days. Each day I tried to make sure I did something....and I did succeed. Grocery shopping, paying bills, ran errands, laundry, dishes, prepared a cooked meal each day, ran Lydia to preschool, Owen was treated to rides to school and a surprise pick up a few times, a doctor's appointment, packing away my Christmas decorations properly, extra cleaning, playing and laughing with the kids, baking, planning a birthday party, a trip to Anaheim,CA (I'm going on a business trip w/Troy), rearranged some stuff, organized drawers, cleaned out.....the list goes on and still continues. But one thing that I am so thankful for....ITS OVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!  ha haha. I realized this in the last 4 weeks I do not think with our lifestyle/Troy's work that I could work full time, nor could I stay home full time. I am very thankful for the per diem job that I do that. God has blessed me with it. I wasn't looking and it appeared, it's worked out for almost 3 yrs (March 16) and I love the flexibility, my co workers and what I do.

We've been also trying to get Lydia (who appears to still have her umbilical cord attached to me only at bedtime) into her own bed. She did so well when Joanne got her her bed, but over the summer when I was working more, it was just easier to put her in  my bed and get to sleep. She's a very strong willed child, so it may take a while. Your wondering what about Troy? Well most of you know his schedule, but for those who don't....he milks the late milking, which is almost like a midnight shift. So he either sleeps on 1 of the 2 couches or Lydia's nice comfortable new bed.

Owen is enjoying school. He seems to want to talk more in the evenings about it when he comes home. But it's like I'm only allotted so many questions. So I read somewhere to not ask....it's like him hawwing around the question. Seems to work. He's fallen in love with the movie Mr.Popper's Penguins. He's going to be sad, but it goes back tomorrow evening and I am not renting anymore for a while.

Well I guess that's enough rambling for now. Thursday is Lydia's dance night, and this week she gets to try on her costume....I'll try to get a pic if we're allowed. She just LOVES dance.

Oh I almost forgot about an update on speech therapy....Lydia starts receiving treatments on Monday and also next week Owen gets his 2nd report card. Im so excited.

p.s. Susan V. If you read this...my blog needs a serious facelift/makeover/design. please help!

The snow is on it's way....

The kids are excited that snow is in the forecast!!! I on the other hand, well I guess as long as it gets it out of it's crazy system by next Wednesday, when I return to work.

Yesterday went so fast. Thank goodness!!!! I got my 5 stitches out and did fine. The pathology report is not back yet. Which is normal. I go back to work next next week with no restrictions. YAY!!!!

Lydia's appointment went well. It was very thorough and to the point. We were told she would start receiving services within the next 14 days. We got our call already this morning before 830a.m. to let us know that she would start her speech therapy the week of the 23rd. We're excited! But it finally hit home last night once everyone was in bed. That Lydia's being "labeled". It's a hard thing for a mother to hear, but also know that I am not ashamed. She is how she is. And we are at least responsible parents by getting her the help she needs. The therapist will come to see her 2 hours a month, I wish there were more time allotted for her for her speech therapy. But this is how it goes. She played very well while Troy, the social worker, the speech therapist, another helper and I went through what seemed like oodles of paper work.

While in Sharpsville Troy took Lydia and I by Dean Dairy, which I had never seen before. Pretty neat!!! And came the scenic route back to Transfer to drop off my return to work slip. Lydia loves going into where I work. But is strange because she doesnt' want to talk when she gets in there. The ladies are so excited to see her because I talk about my kids to them. I have such a great relationship with a few of them.

Then home to get Owen from his friend Megan's house. We had to make a few phone calls and explain our situation in depth to the school district in order for Owen to get off the bus with Megan. (Troy's parents were out of town and we had no one else to get Owen off the bus, and this meeting was so important that I did not want to have to reschedule-for fear it'd be another month before we'd get in). So our nice neighbor(well down the road a ways) and I have made friends. Owen and Megan were in the same preschool class for 2 yrs and Owen just loves playing with her. Megan's mom, Susan, and I did not grow up in the Sandy Lake Area, so it's been so nice getting to know her. And they are a sweet sweet family! I went to get Owen and Lydia decided to make herself at home and play....for 1 1/2 hrs!!!! (sorry Susan we were there so long). Finally, we were ready to go and decided to exit through the garage...which housed Megan's dad's four wheeler and the 2 baby kittens. Here are a few pictures.....

We are working on talking daddy into bringing this kitty home. It's so laid back, adorable, litter trained and we've never had a cat. Owen LOVES cats. Weird, but he loves them.

Just a stage or the full moon?

After quite a night or should I say weekend and day with Lydia's little outbursts.....I sat down last night and realized we had a full moon upon us. Ahh huh! Let's hope the full moon was to blame to her uncooperativeness, mean, outbursting attitude yesterday.

It looks so nice outside today, but it's so chilly. I know we haven't experienced winter yet, but I am ready for Spring. Get the kids outdoors, run the energy out of them so they crash in the evenings.

Yesterday I discovered our almost 3 year old Beta Fish, Snowy, was floating belly up in his bowl. So I tried to hide it from the kids. I did not succeed. Owen knew as soon as he got in the house that Snowy was no longer with us. :(  He paused a moment, thought to himself and started asking questions. He appeared to digest each and every answer. I felt like I had done something wrong and was being interrogated by a detective. I had to tell him that I buried him, LIE....under the pine tree, LIE....and that it'd be okay..... grrr I wish someone would create a book of "censored white lies" to tell our children, that they'd actually believe. Well truth be told Snowy is in our septic system now. (giggle) I did not want to have "handy manny" (owen) ripping my toilet apart.

On to today.....thank goodness there is no snowy talk, and I hope their won't be any. Because we are NOT getting another fish!

Lydia seems in better spirits today. No report from the teacher today at preschool pick up. But Lydia was a little sad she lost her headband at school. I get so irritated. Every time I take her with clips, pony tail holders, barretts, etc. They seem to either be in the backpack, minus the other matching clippy or lost completely. Where on earth do they go? Its like the missing socks in the dryer story.

Tomorrow I am thankful that I will be hopefully getting my 5 stitches out, not itchy yet, just something annoying about them. I seem to be doing well. Sore, but only Tylenol at bedtime is needed. We also have Lydia's IEP meeting for her Speech Therapy needs. I am nervous, but yet excited to get the ball rolling for her to receive help. We had her screened in October and in December we had her individually tested. She tested to where she needs speech therapy services. Her vocab is good, she knows her words. Unfortunately she is mixing up the beginning and the ending of words classing her to talk as a 24 month old. So we are fortunate that the Midwestern Intermediate Unit will come to her at preschool twice a month I think it is to help her. yay!!! I'll share more details after her meeting tomorrow.

Time just slips outta my hands....

Wow has alot happened since June 1, 2011.
I don't even think I dare to catch you up to speed.
I am really going to try and blog again. It's fun. I enjoy reading other blogs. Just because I am curious what others are up to. I don't necessarily think it's being nosey, because they put it out there, but I am just a curious person. Always have been probably always will be. lol
So tonight the kids are fighting horribly. Mostly because Lydia's going through a horrid stage! Today her teacher told me "she was very uncooperative today!". I felt like such a donkey, but yet was thankful to myself that someone else got to experience this sweet little adorable MONSTER for 2 1/2 hrs too! LOL!
Owen's laying on the floor playing with his new chugging ton die cast trains that he received as a Christmas present, and GODZILLA comes and rips one of the trains away from him, sending him to tears and she starts swatting away...in his defense he smacks her right across the face (I'm sure some of you are just floored by now, and hoping CYS isn't on my door step in the morning). But she's dreadfully mean to him.
Now, 5 minutes later, they are bff's (best friends forever) because big brother needs a "guard" to go to the bathroom with him. (since fire safety and the fire drills at school, he's scared to go to the bathroom, which outside the door in the hall is the smoke detector). And here comes Lydia carrying her brother's tractor and trailer he also received for Christmas...Lord help me if they start spatting again, I may have to send them to bed at 630pm :)
I tried Chicken and Dumplings last week for dinner. Turned out very well, followed the recipe. (it's a joke, Troy always insists I don't follow them-that's why stuff doesn't turn out). The kids were asking for leftovers 3 days later!!!! Guess I will have to do that one again. Last night was pork roast, chopped up potatoes, onions, celery and baby carrots. Troy doesn't like this meal particularly. He will say "it's not one of my favorites". He doesn't usually say much. Tonight, he may ask if I followed the recipe. Beef stroganoff.....I so didn't like it. It was edible. But I cannot say I'll be recreating this entree. I made the kids and him theirs and mine had onions and mushroom, they don't like them. Please pray tomorrow is much better, I'll need something to save me. It's boneless skinless chicken breast cooked with one of those Cooking Philadelphia Cream Cheese's. I'll be serving it over rice.
Well enough rambling.....cheers to 2012 and to new recipes and to hopefully blogging more.