visit with Gigi

My dear grandmother, who happens to be 85, came all the way from Milwaukee to spend 5 days with us and see our house. The kids just love her and have played cards, Scrabble, or Monopoly every day with her. She came along with us today to Jon's parents' house for a birthday lunch for my sister-in-law, Kit, so she got to catch up with Jon's grandparents (who also happen to be very youthful for their ages!), and some other family that was there. It's been a wonderful visit, and I thought I would share the pictures I've taken so far...more to come, though!

Sunday afternoon nap

the pirate party

the birthday cont'd

Due to Jordan being sick last weekend after taking antibiotics and oral steroids on an empty stomach, we had to delay Nathan's birthday party until yesterday. To catch anyone up, I had to take her to the ER last Thursday with wheezing and labored breathing (we were there from about 2am-4am), they started her on the meds, then she began with vomiting and diarrhea on Friday until Sunday. She lost 3 pounds and looked horrible, we were real worried, but her appetite kicked back in and now she's a bottomless pit! It was obviously from the meds, no fever, no odor with the diarrhea, no one else got sick...anyway, I just had my best friend's 4 kids, another friend of Nathan's from a Bible study/fellowship group I attend and his 2 sisters, and my 3 nephews. Still, we had 14 kids in all (OK, one of them was only 2 months old)! They had a wild and crazy "pirate" time, with swords, bandanas, and eye patches, and managed to get out and run around before the rain came. Oh, and there was lots of chocolate.

my sister's baby!

I hope Megan doesn't mind my doing so, but I love to post pics of my nieces and nephews from time to time. I know I'm biased, but they're all just so darn good-looking, it would be a shame not to! Anyway, one of the pics has my only living grandmother (and still very much full of life in her mid-80's), Gigi, with Cole. Love to all!

Nathan's 8th Birthday

Oh, the anticipation!

The birthday card I gave Nathan says it all. With him, the excitement the night before his birthday was palpable. Last year's post title for his birthday was, "I live for birthdays," it's just so darn cute. Mychael heard him in his bed last night at one point say, "Yes!" Then he comes down this morning trying not to smile, with every molecule of his being screaming, "OK, I'm ready to start celebrating 'me,' now!" I think the pictures may have captured some of that. Anyway, he is a big 8-year old, now, and let me just brag on him a minute: He has really grown up this past year, it's been a little over a year since the ADHD diagnosis, and he has handled it with a great sense of humor. We've had to try different medications and finally found that Strattera helps him tremendously without changing his personality or his enjoyment of life (other drugs had that effect). He is now responsible, focused, gentler with his siblings, compliant, and successful in school. Also, it has helped with his self esteem immensely (he was very negative and down on himself prior to), which may be due, in part, to not having to be corrected so much. He caught up enough to be finishing up 2nd grade (half of the year I was actually finishing up first grade, making up for not being able to get much done the first half of last year, before the diagnosis and intervention), has made very much progress with his reading, and generally is just a happy and pleasant child to be around. He is especially happy that Mychael will be homeschooling again next year, and I am looking forward to doing some fun things with all of them. Anyway, he racked up on birthday presents, so far, with a new MP-3 player from us, a cool Nerf target shooting thing from Nana, and several other things from her, plus a gel ant colony from aunt Meagan and Uncle Jonathan, Captain Underpants books from Uncle Brian and Aunt Megan, and money on the way from Grandma and B-Pa. Thanks, everyone, for a wonderful birthday for our Nafey!