Catch up with lots of pictures

It has been a while since I’ve written in here. I still check my favorites every day/every other day. I just suck at writing. Partially because there isn’t enough time in the day, partially because I’m so far behind I feel like I can’t ever catch up. So I just have to accept that I won’t and start fresh.

Gwen is napping right now. Hopefully she stays asleep long enough for me to finish this, but it is Saturday and everyone is home and they’re so loud when they go in and out of the house. None of them can close a door without slamming it and the front door is right under our bedroom so when they slam it it shakes the wall and wakes her up. Saturdays are usually bad for naps here. 

Michael is at work. He had 2 people leave his store in the past 2 weeks (one transferred out because the gas was costing her too much and she needed to work closer to home, the other gave less than 2 weeks notice because he got a better job). He just barely had all the hours in his store covered without them and then someone else goes and calls out today so he has to work the guys shift. I really hope he finds a better job sometime soon. He’s too smart for this crap. It is a waste of his degree and potential. 

Thankfully Michael is taking a week vacation starting this coming Friday. Cassie is flying out and we’re all going to Vegas. We’re bringing my sister to watch the babies for us while we go out at night. It is the perfect set up. My FIL let us use a week of his time share so we got an awesome timeshare for the week and it costs significantly less than what we’d pay for a comparable hotel. We’re going to see Penn and Teller and Chippendales and its going to be amazing. 

The kids are doing well. Guinevere is still as tiny as ever. I think she finally broke 20 pounds (she’s 20 months now). She’s such a petite little thing, but oh so adorable. She has quite the personality. She knows what she wants and won’t settle for anything less. She adores Michael and Parker. She also loves her Grandpa and every evening they get the coffee pot ready for the next day together. FIL makes the coffee pot talk to her and she just thinks its the most awesome thing ever. She also loves her cousin Hope and my BIL. I’m glad she has so many family members in her life on a daily basis. 

Parker is doing well. I don’t know if I mentioned it before but we’re homeschooling. I use an online program that the public school district here offers and he attends a homeschool enrichment program through Mesa Public Schools. He goes 2 days a week and its mostly for the socialization and hands on activities. He’s doing great. He completely test out of kindergarten and we’re working on the 3rd quarter of first grade. He is reading, and not just beginning to read, he reads chapter books. He loves Frog and Toad, Mr. Bear, and Junie B Jones. He is way ahead in reading, even for a first grade level. He has surprised me and is highly intelligent. When he was younger I thought he’d excel physically because he was so agile and energetic, but he has calmed down a little in that sense and is more focused on learning things he loves. 

He has been seeing a child psychologist. Yesterday he was diagnosed with ADHD. I have suspected he struggled with focus since he was about 2 years old but that is way too young to diagnose a kid with ADHD and I was not sure if he was just a slight variation of what was normal. As time as progressed it has gotten much worse and in the past 6 months or so we’ve really struggled with defiance, following directions, and diminishing self-esteem. I had always said I wouldn’t have him evaluated until it seemed like it was having an adverse affect on his life, and that began to happen. When he first started homeschool enrichment he did not cause any trouble in class and was relatively well behaved. After he got comfortable things started to go downhill and after talking to his teacher at length earlier this week I was certain that something needs to be done before things spiral out of control. The child psychologist did Cognitive Processing Testing and that with questionares he had us fill out, and an observation of Parker confirmed what I had already suspected. I’m not sure what path we’re going to take just yet for treatment purposes. The psychologist wants us to put him in martial arts because he says it activates the center of the brain that controls impulses which will only strengthen the neural connections and hopefully help with his impulsiveness. The CPT test showed that he has very poor vigilance. He stays focused when the task is fast passed and challenging and requires more brain processing power, but the minute things slow down and require a little less focus he loses interest completely and does not pay attention at all. He has also suggested we do a trial of medication to help him unlearn some of the bad habits he has developed as a result of the ADHD. I don’t know what we’re going to do yet. I do have to talk to to Jeff about it since we’re supposed to make the medical decisions together. 

We’re still living at my father in laws. We’re getting close to moving out there. We have a decent amount saved up for a down payment so we’re seeing what we can arrange now. I can’t wait to get into my house. I love my FIL and I’m so grateful for all the help he’s giving us, but I miss my privacy. I think it’d probably be different if my BIL didn’t live here too. He’s not exactly considerate so it makes for some frustrating situations. His girlfriend is also up here visiting all the time and she stays for days on end and it is just too many people sharing one space. We all have to share the one upstairs bathroom (at least for showering purposes, FIL has a bathroom in his master bedroom but he’s the one that uses that) so Saturday and Sunday mornings can be frustrating when 4 of us need the shower. 

And…. the baby is already up. Guess That is my queue to go. Here are some pictures from the past few months. 

 

 

 

 <img width="350" height="350" alt="" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/419832_10100902869389402_10103661_58335843_1965268606_n.jpg&#8221; />

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Parker and Hayden wearing best friends necklaces from when Hayden came out to visit in January. Luca and Gwen at urgent care after Gwen developed cystitis on her leg.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

lilypie first birthday tickers

 

<p style=”text-align: center; “>lilypie fifth birthday tickers

 

 

site meter

 

 

Log in to write a note
February 25, 2012

Oh my gosh! She has gotten so big!!!!! how are you doing!?

February 25, 2012

your kids are gorgeous! Hope youre well!

February 25, 2012

Gwenie is so adorable! We need another play date soon! I’m glad that Parker is doing so well. Good luck with the medication decision. I know that it doesn’t always work for everyone. It did for my brother when he was on it.

February 26, 2012

They’re getting so big! I’m glad you’re close to getting your own place 🙂

February 26, 2012

I love the pictures! Good luck on your own place! 🙂

July 3, 2012

so Ive been a slacker and just got on here. OMG they are so big!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i cant get over them and dear lord they are all beautiful! God bless you! I miss reading you and hope life is good

November 25, 2012

RYN: That sucks! We actually HAVE to do engineered hardwood on the main floor due to it being a cement floor and with the floor heat coming through. I’m not sure exactly why but that’s what we were told. Hopefully we don’t run into any problems like that… the flooring is EXPENSIVE!

February 25, 2013

ryn: i was on the pump too. this pregnancy has been super hard for me – 3 hospital visits, home health care and lots of throwing up. you?