Outside = fun!

The boys and I got out back somehow and swam in the little pool again. I had two hoses going, one with a fun sprinkler and the other one trickling into the pool. Asher and I sat in the shade, we got big umbrellas but I didn't fully think out the situation because we sat on the ground. Whoopsie. Worked out just fine though. Asher was also very kind and let me pull all the weeds in the back yard. Something went to seed out there, there were sprouts of the same something everywhere!

And I have two itty bitty tiny peaches on my new peach tree that we got last fall! Woohoo!

I personally think that counts but we "officially" went swimming on Sunday, I managed to avoid it this far but I suppose it was inevitable! The family went to Kristen's on Sunday and thankfully there were a lot of hands to help.

Duncan is very cautious in the water and very reserved. He's not one to go out on a limb and exploring. But Matthew got in the water with him and traumatized him a couple of times and wouldn't you know it, soon enough he was swimming along out there without holding on to anyone and even jumping off the side. It's a beautiful thing when they realize that if they hold on to their jacket and kick they can go anywhere they want to go!

I credit Bridger, Bridger goes swimming a lot and Duncan loves to do what Bridger does. So far, it's been a great thing... We now eat cold hot dogs and can be coerced into going to the bathroom by ourselves. "Bridger does it by himself... " Jill warned me of poop and fart talk coming soon. Bah! Gross! Boys will be boys though I suppose and, we will just get used to "funny" gross talk around here! It doesn't help that I thing the f(art) word is the worst word on the planet!

And then there's my little daredevil, Ian's a FISH! He loves the water! I knew he would, he goes under the water in the bathtub! He loved it and didn't want to get out in spite of the fact he was turning blue and shivering. It was pretty cute. He was all over the place. Have to keep an eye on that kid! Easier to do now though since the other one is hands free!

Asher did not swim though, I don't even have a suit for him!

I found a new favorite app for my phone, it started with the iPad but I couldn't get it to work so I tried my phone... That app? A police scanner. Not just any police scanner though, one that let's you tap into almost 3000 different cities/agencies. Does this sound cool to anyone but me? So I look up the town where Melissa and Aaron moved and wala! There it is. It says that the Highway Patrol, Police and Fire are all on one channel but you get a bonus, fish and game (stolen elk anyone? "Where's the horse trailer?") and, drum roll... Bus drivers. Elderly bus drivers to boot and they forgot to pick up a kid. Awesome. I don't get to listen much, since... Parenting and listening is a challenge. But when I am feverishly cleaning during some random down time I can throw my phone in my pocket and listen away, 15 minutes at a time. I did manage to hear Aaron the other night, it wasn't very exciting though, I had to text him and tell him to spice it up. Okay, I am lame I know.

Dylie had PT and we finally made it to the park! Just in time for it to be too hot to go to the park again. She used her coping mechanism and passed out and was asleep for the first few minutes but I had Mike take the boys and I said I would wake her up. He asked what I was going to do and I said "sit her in the grass". New texture on her hands, different texture on the bum... Worked like a charm! She actually did really well too. He said the first thing we need to establish is that the slide is fun. This is a learned thing, as anyone withe children well knows. And I think we got there, she was smiling and having a great time.

Meanwhile the big boys were tearing it up. All over the place, even Ian. At one point Mike was trying to get him to turn around to go down the stair so he didn't tumble down them and Ian was having none of it. mike was saying "Ian, sit... Sit... Sit Ian." and Ian was walking on down straight forward "sit sit sit". I told Mike he knows, he just doesn't want to do it!

When we were packing up Mike told me I had my hands full with Ian, yup, I know! He's smart and spunky and thinks he's just soooo big.

After we walked to the other park again even though they were tired and hot, Duncan wasn't having going home yet! Thought when it came to walking all the way back to the car he then decided he was hot and tired. NICE.

Everyone seems to be doing really well around here, knock on wood. Asher got sick and coughy again but I think we lucked out and it didn't go to his ears this time. He's still very coughy but from what I understood the viruses that were out and about were lasting 3.5 weeks. So we can deal with it I suppose.

Establishing that the slide is fun...


It's working!


Cute girl (Grandma LouAnn reinforced the knees of all of our jeans!)


Therapy is hard work


No really (Who is this girl anyway, he is picking up strays now!)


Running through the sprinklers together


The best picture I got was on my phone!

Forgive me for being late - I offer you lots of pictures

First and foremost, Happy Father's Day to the best father ever! I mean, he doesn't read the blog or anything.... But he might peruse it some day... So here's a shout out to him,

We aren't so big on Hallmark holidays around here... But, around this time of the year we are shown article after article, emails, stories, about how a man can be a better father. As I read these articles I nod, yep, yep, yep... Matthew does it all. He spends the weekends with his kid's (or serving others, or both), he let's me sleep in every weekend, Saturday and Sunday. He comes out and chills with the kid's, feeding them cinnamon rolls, cake or ding dongs for breakfast. His family is a priority, his hands are always full (sometimes of things we don't usually like on our hands, but you know...). H doesn't get time off when he comes home from a hectic day at work, he dives right in. We are all so spoiled. Every single day I watch him make memories with his kids and I love it. I am so humbled to have a real example of what a father should be. Man, my kid's are lucky...

So again, in writing, I love you I love you I love you, you are the best father I could ever even imagine. Every day I am amazed. Happy Father's Day!

And on to my boring week.

The three littlest of the littles aren't feeling well. They are pretty gooey. For the boys this means lots of coughing, not a lot of sleeping. For Dylan this means some unproductive coughing, lots of puking and lots of pooping, We had a good couple weeks, but well... Here we go again! matthew took the bigger boys to Ami's on Sunday because Dylan was pukey and Duncan came back and reported that it was "great big fun."

I am having a Duncan day today. He is such a good boy... So helpful. I use him, probably too much, to fetch things for me. Especially when Dylan's sick. I just find myself in predicaments and he makes my life easier. He challenges me, to see what he can get away with... Normal stuff, but he's just so good most of the time. I guess it's about 5:00 when he is just tired of being so good... But days are long when you're three!

I don't think I mentioned this, I may have because I think about it a lot, but the other morning I heard him get up. He always gets up, and closes his door (loudly) and then runs in to Matthew's side of the bed... But this morning, he stopped at Dylan's room (by then she's usually been up a couple of hours) and said "hi Dyl." then closed her door and continued on to our room. So cute, so kind, so loving. So, yay for service to others... Even when you're three.

So on this Duncan day I picked them up from school and we stopped for lunch and pulled up to the park and ride by the train stop. Another beautiful thing about the handicap plates, front row at the train stop! I dispersed lunch and we waited for the trains. That's me, fun right from the car! When they came we rolled the windows down to listen to the gates. Then it was over.

The D's have school this week, three long days in a row... And then off for a few weeks again.

I looked in to sign language and the classes don't start until September. They are two hours twice a week for 9 weeks, so I might have to go represent and then send Matthew. Excited for it though. September will be here before we know it!

Not much else, the laptop is out of business and it's a bit harder to keep up the blog until we get it back in working condition. So... More pictures than stories, that's a good trade right?

He wouldn't look at me. He was too busy honking the horn and trying to figure out why daddy wouldn't go.


Big boy! Forst time on a bike! (A bike that's way to big for him!) We were so proud, he is not the daredevil of my children...


The awesome ride. How sweet is this thing?! I told you I would take pictures!


This is a picture from my cel, I had to send it to Jessica. Ian was very proud of himself for being able to pull out BOTH of his woobies!


Two woobies and a choo choo, what more can a little guy ask for?


Small, medium and large! Catching up with eachother! (Asher has a good several inches on Lanie, but she makes up for it in breadth!


My FAVORITE pic that Eden took of Dylan!


She kept throwing her head back and making busted kid noises! You can see right up her completely ineffective nose!


She was so happy!


And it was ME she was looking at, not her daddy! (Hey, every once and a while right?)


Adorable picture of Ian


And then Asher. Can you even grasp how squishy he is from this picture? I am not kidding, this kid is just MELTY!


Speaking of melty...


Mom was just holding him and he folded over asleep! Ha! I love this picture!


Little kid and a big big slide! Yes he went down it! (This would be my daredevil!)


Matthew found a night crawler, Duncan quickly resumed the boy roll and loved it up. He even took it in the house to show Aunt Traci, grandma and Beth! They loved that!


Great picture of Abbi!


Apparently we need a tramp for my daredevil!


Cheekers! Looking more and more like Duncan every day!

Frogs and snails and puppy dogs' tails...

We have some words people! Not very many, but words! And at 18 months we will take all we can get right? Ian said Car, only high pitched... Awesome. Then, the very next day, he busted out a "choo choo"! So kid, no need for mom ro dad apparently, but cars and trains? I guess when that's what you are surrounded with it's what you are bound to pick up, but first? "mama" kid "mama" I say!

See now actually he must have been ready to talk, he knows he has his well-child check on Monday and the doctor will be asking because I told him to say 'dada' on Saturday and yep, he said it! Stinker.

We don't have too much going on around these parts this week, which is actually a GOOD thing right?

I tried to take Dylan to the swings because now I know she likes them, the problem is, all the parks by me don't have any! The big BIG park does but there's a little stream that goes through it and the water is high and fast lately so it's nothing I would want to attempt on my own, so we went to go to the same one by Aunt Eden's. It was supposed to be nice... Turns out, not so much. Eden was home so we hung out there which Duncan loved because he got to hang out with his cousin Brdiger, but alas, no swinging for Dylan. Hmf.

Meanwhile Eden took some great pictures of Dylan but I forgot the memory card so you must wait to see them. One of my 'friends' said about her special needs daughter when uploading photos "... You have to hit this girl up like the paparazzi to get a good picture of her!" and I laughed, if that isn't the truth! Ha! So I am stealing that one for sure!

Matthew and I have pretty much resigned ourselves that Dylan probably won't ever talk. She gets so excited but all she can get out are weird noises and 'wuuh"s no consonants at all. So this week I will be exploring our options for sign language. I have taught myself the alphabet, and learned a few words (have Duncan show you train) but would like to learn more. I also recorded "Signing Time" on PBS, I know how to say good morning, brush teeth, brush and comb hair, awake and... zebra. that's pretty much it but that's from only 5 minutes of one and about 3 of another. Ha! Not too bad when you add it to the baby ones, milk, more, drink, mom, dad, baby, ball, all done etc. Far from practical use!

Duncan's fascinated though, as I practice the alphabet he tries and tries to get his hands right. So cute. I am suprised he's interested too. It will be fun!

Shelley signs with Dylan at school so it will be good to team up.

I worked in the yard this week and found two snails. Nasty. It's snail bait time again. It was a first for Duncan, i moved them over by him and he was just watching them then he said "mom, will you move them? Mom, Mooooom, mom? Mom will you move them?" and then he was very brave and picked them up. (Then carried them accross the street to the field for me, blech!)

Afterwards I got down the little pool which Matthew just loved... You see, they are waaay up on the ceiling of the garage.

Me "I got down a pool."
Him "How did you do that?"
Me "I am amazing."
Him "Oh, because you know there's a motocycle under them."
Me "Uh huh, I was standing on it."
Him, well, yea... I won't type what he said.

*grin*

Me "Yea, you have to fix the big one when you get home, it's kind of dangling precariously up there..."
Him "SHANNON!"

This girl LOVES her daddy! (We all do... kinda.)


Oh my cuteness! His cheekers! And his eyelashes are blond and SRAIGHT! My friend would always comment on how you could see my kids' eyelashes a mile away, not this one! He's my blondie!


Doesn't everyone eat marshmellows from the inside out?


Dylan's loves this, Mushi, not so much.


Asher's new favorite position. He thinks his big feet are kind of fun!


Outside playing with fun pool toys, we just need some sand.


Ian's so serious


I love tub pictures, you have no idea how many I save you from seeing!


Uhm... Helping?


He was sticking them together. Gross!


Here he is wanting to show me up close that it has eyes. Great. Apparently I am not all up with the whole boy thing because Matthew asked if he touched it's eyes? Gross! This is what boys do?

Mind. Lost. Please return if found...

That's it, I am losing my mind... It's official.

Sunday night I was finding a sitter for the D's for when i took the littles to their well child checks on Monday. My mother in law had them on her schedule but she hasn't been feeling well. So a few people volunteered and I make plans with Ami to drop them off. Then I see a reminder come through about Dylan's PT and Mike was coming over in the morning.

Mike's been bugging me to get Dylan to the park to play for therapy so I come blazing out Monday morning to get the kids ready. Today's the day! And by golly I did it. We were ready! So I loaded the kids in the car and called Mike so he could meet us there. No answer... Hmm... Didn't count on that. To wait or not to wait. So I called again... He answered. IT'S TOMORROW!!

Meanwhile Duncan's in the backseat chanting "we're going to the park, we're going to the park, we're going to the park!" Gah!! So we did go to the park, quite the ordeal!

Then it dawns on me, if her PT is tomorrow is the well-child appointment tomorrow too? So when I got home I looked, Uhm, yea... It's next Monday!

Losing my mind!

Dylan seems to be on the mend from not feeling well, she had some serious business. Stuffy and coughy and generally miserable. How silly of me to think she could have missed this big cold that's going around.

She hasn't been sleeping well at night and a couple of times I have woken to her screaming like I have never heard her scream before. Just squealing and miserable, tired and furstrated. Matthew said he gets flustered about it because he knows if she just calms down that everything will be okay but it's impossible to get her to calm down. Even with singing, which is not like her. (She's been in a Boston phase.)

The other morning I changed her and was hoping to hook her up and keep her asleep with food through the pump but she woke and was in fairly decent spirits so I gave her kid's Sudafed... which is supposed to wire her up. I figured if she was going to be up, I might as well try it to see how she reacts. About an hour later she was throwing the fit of all fits! She was exhausted!

I knew when she stopped she would pass out so I wanted to get her all ready to sleep for a long time. That meants a new change of clothes (her button leaked through for some reason), checking the water in her button (since it leaked so bad), new dressing on her button, taping the tube up again, changing, cathing, pulling her hair back and getting food running in the pump. Needless to say it was quite the wrestling match! I am not kidding... at one point I was holding her arms with my legs and sitting on her feet while I did her button stuff. She was literally losing. Her. Mind.

And I was sweating. It was exhausting... she is deceptively strong.

All the while Duncan's in her room, talking to me and playing and I am trying my hardest to be patient with both of them.

Then, what do you know, she passed out. Breathing too. So the Sudafed was doing it's job. how nice that she's old enough to use some decent meds on!

What a mess our wrestling match was, I have no idea what I am going to do when she's 40 lbs, 50, 100? We need to get a grip on her growth and make some decisions with Dr. Endo in that area because honestly... a 21 lber was getting the best of me! (Physically, not mentally, don't you worry...)

Speaking of her weight, she looks GOOD! I am so impressed every time I see her little thighs, because she actually has some. (I wished I was as impressed with my thighs!) Meanwhile I have a love affair with her pump. I love that thing... It's been helping me get an almost full fifth feeding in her every day. And if she wasn't coughy, I am sure I wouldn't have seen any of it come back up. Pretty impressive when I was getting so used to getting a vanilla bath once a day. (One of my friends once made the comment that tube feeding has ruined the smell of vanilla for her, so true! even though it does smell a thousand times better than the unflavored!)

I have been using the pump for her bolus feedings and having them take a half hour, or when we put her down at night I might space it out to two hours... Or when she was sleeping for a long time I would start her slow with an ounce and a half an hour... Oh, the possibilities! Yesterday we ran an errand and it was almost food time so I set it up and she got food on the go! Those who said they will never use math have never calculated how much and how fast to feed their kid!

It's also nice because she can be up and playing while getting her food rather than flat pn her back with us staring her in the face. When I do her bolus feedings I try to stay in the same room with her, this morning it was me and all the kids in there playing. That way she's not losing any of that time we spent interacting withe her directly.

Serious pump love affair.

Duncan has a clock that turns green at 7:45 in the morning to tell him when he can come out of his room. Something nearly likened to child abuse by someone recently! Ha! I am a better parent if he doesn't come get me at 6am, know what I mean? Well, this morning we it didn't come on (Ian's handy work) and when I asked him if his light turned green this morning he said "no it didn't! It ran out of green gas!"

He also told me his soap smelled like butterflies the other day... really?

Part of the fun of "quiet time" is where you find him!


Another doozy!


Sleepy baby, awwwe!


Brother love


Finally caught a great bug catcher!


We try to keep at least one fenced in at all times


just kidding, daddy took the boys to fly a kite.


Asher and mommy, sitting out the kite flying!

I just love the look on their faces!


Dylan's cousin Eden took her swinging in the park


Turns out she isn't as bothered by the sun as she used to be!


These pictures are so cute!


Afton being a good big cousin to Ian!


Garrison being a good big cousin to Ian (he was trying to scutter out of the picture taking!)


Ian's first intro to the sand box


gives me the heeby jeebies!


I woke to this sight the other day


My cute little


family


at the park.


This is how we roll!