2017-2018 School Year

These three guys' last day of school was Friday.  They are out for summer!!! This school year feels like it flew right by!  I think part of that is how sick everyone was and how busy I was taking care of them.  Wyatt's asthma has a way of making the weeks fly by in a blur of no sleep and lots of worry.  Thankfully he's healthy now and we have an appointment next week to get his allergy testing done, so hopefully that will give us some answers about if anything is exacerbating his asthma.

The twins wrapped up fourth grade with good grades and happy memories.  They have grown so much during their two years in public school and I think they are ready to start fifth grade.  We have opted, again, to have them in separate classrooms because we feel that is what's best for their distinct personalities and it decreases the chances that they will be compared to each other, which is something we are trying to minimize.  (They still do it, but we want to make sure that we, as adults, aren't doing it!  Harder than it sounds!)

Wyatt finished first grade with some amazing testing results and we're super proud of the awesome student, reader & speller he is.  He really excels in school and it's nice to see him blossom there.  I think he's looking forward to some downtime, though, as he loves to play and be outside, really misses Carly when he's at school, and loves to spend time in the garden.

I am nervous for summer with all of them home, I won't lie.  The spring was hard for me as I struggled with anxiety and I worry how I will make sure I get some "me time" in with the four kids home, but since Josh is a teacher, he will be home, too, and he assures me that it will all be okay.  (I thank God for that guy everyday. Seriously.)

I've made some bucket lists for myself and the kids, as well as some realistic things that the kids and I need to accomplish each day.  I think it will create a nice balance of work and fun for all of us, and it makes me less anxious for what's to come.  I've committed to walking everyday because it's so good for my mental health, and Josh agrees that it's something that's really good for me, so we're on the same page there.  Early bedtime is also a must because I will continue teaching with VIPkid throughout the summer, so that will help keep the kids and I on a good schedule.  I'm also hoping to do some adventuring in our area.  Even though we've been here two years, there are a lot of places we've yet to explore.

I'll close this little end of the year post with some first & last day of school photos so you can see how the kids have grown (maybe especially Carly!?!) and changed this year.  It's so fun to see!

August 2017

May 2018

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First Day of School

Last Day of School

On Sending Your Little Ones To School

Last year was the first time I had sent my kids to school (barring the five months the twins attended preschool in 2011, which doesn't really count).  As I mentally prepare for the upcoming school year (Josh went back today for some teacher training, thus back-to-school is on my mind even though we don't start until August 30th) I find I am reassuring myself with the same few thoughts:

"Give it two weeks, I swear it will start to feel normal."
My sister told me this before the school year began, and I cannot tell you how I clung to it those first few days, as I would come home, lay Carly down for her morning nap, and sit, paralyzed and sad, on the couch as she slept.  The house was too quiet without our boys, and I felt so aimless.
By the end of their first month I looked forward to the quiet in our house on Monday mornings.  I enjoyed knowing that my boys were having experiences I knew nothing about and growing in so many ways.

Take it one day at a time.
It was really easy for me to take a problem my child presented-- a math struggle; loneliness at recess-- and dive into the issue headfirst.  Suddenly I would foresee their failure on future SAT's and proms spent sitting alone at a table, watching everyone else dance... when in reality, these problems were almost always solved within a day or two, and never with any drastic amount of effort on my part.  What seemed a BIG DEAL one day would often not even be on my child's radar the next day.  Basically, my point is to "Don't let anything make you too worried or freaked out!" Some of my kids fought at recess, dealt with bullies and made bad choices.  Some of them struggled with academics and being sad or missing me.  In the end, we all came out alright, and no one is worse for the wear. I promise whatever struggles pop up, you'll get through them, too!

Make a Silly Goodbye Ritual
My twins didn't need a goodbye ritual.  They were 100% ready for friendship and freedom and school with a teacher who wasn't their mom. But my Wyatt, who was starting kindergarten, had a hard time saying goodbye.  So every morning after playing with him at pre-school-recess, we'd walk back to class singing "Pop See Ko", which always made him laugh and left him with a smile on his face. I'd end our goodbye routine with a hug saying, "I'll see you after school right here," to assure him that when school is over I will be right there to pick him up.

I wish you luck this school year.
I'm going to try NOT to:
a) Cry my eyes out that the twins are going into FOURTH GRADE
(How is this possible!?!)
or
b) Jump up and down screaming with intense joy when I wake up on August 30th. ;)

Wish me luck!

Wrapping Up The School Year

Off to school...

Before summer leaves the old school year in the dust, I wanted to blog the last few events of the school year.  Some of the year we had to drive (hello snow for months!) but our favorite way to to get to school and back was walking/riding. I would walk, pushing Carly in her stroller, and the boys would ride bikes, scooters or rollerblades.

Everyday on the way to school we would pass this patch of wild pansies and it made me so happy. (For those who don't know, my grandma's name is Pansy, so they're one of my favorite flowers!)

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(Jack's in the middle in pale blue)

(Logan's in the middle in pale green)

(Wyatt is in the second row, grey striped shirt)

For the end of year spring concert the kids sang the cutest little songs and I loved watching them.  Especially Wyatt's because they do little hand motions!

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Jack's Class: End of 3rd Grade Shenanigans

Jack has become such good friends with everyone in his class.  I love how school has allowed him to be his usual outgoing self and make a million new friends!
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Another new thing for us this year was class birthdays!  

Sharing cupcakes with all Wyatt's little friends was especially sweet.

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I loved some of the words Wyatt used in his alphabet of words.

Kk: Koomplucatid (complicated)

Vv: Voolum (volume)

Ee: Empoosubl (impossible)

He's such a little smarty!

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Wyatt went on a field trip to the fire station.

Since Carly and I couldn't go, Wyatt's good friends' mom took some pictures and texted them to me.  I cannot tell you how much it meant to get those pictures as I was home sick that morning.  Thoughtfulness from other moms means so much!

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Wyatt's stories are my favorite:

"This is me and mom and Carly jumping on the trampoline."

"I am ridi abou mi cites namd rumona and jorj."

"I am writing about my kitties named Ramona and George."

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The boys had art in the elementary school art show:

Wyatt

Logan

Jack

Jack

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While I was going through some notebooks Logan brought home from school, I found this note he wrote to the school counselor.
"Dear Mrs. U,
I need help calming down.
Yesterday my dad was close to having a seizure like me."

He was talking about when Josh had a bone infection behind his ear and had a really high fever with the shakes.  It was absolutely terrifying for me, so I can't imagine how Logan was feeling. I am so proud of him for reaching out for help.

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Our boys had a lot of learning to do when it came to testing (at all) this year, and state testing took it to another level beyond that.  Logan got a HUGE reward for taking his time and doing his best on one of the end of year tests, and I was so proud of him. He worked so hard, he even surpassed his goal!

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As much fun as we squeezed into the last few weeks, it also left me reeling some days!
It's making me grateful for these lazy summer days!
Just looking at these pictures is giving me anxiety!

The last day of school was rainy, and honestly I was so happy to come home, let the kids plug in for a minute and just breathe (and do a little blogging, of course!).  

What an amazing year we had.  

I'm so grateful.

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An Ambulance is on the Way

 Today I got the call every mother dreads.  

At 12:36 my phone rang. I was working on the craft I have planned for Wyatt's class pumpkin party next week and the phone said "Unknown".   I always answer the phone, though, during the day, just in case.

It was a staff member from the boys' school calling to tell me they had Logan, down, in the cafeteria. "We think he had a seizure," she said, "An ambulance is on the way."  She wasn't sure if he was coherent or responsive.

I flew down the hall, got Carly up from her nap, grabbed Logan's bubba (his favorite stuffed animal), along with my purse and the diaper bag and got Carly in her carseat.  That drive to the school was the longest three quarters of a mile I've ever traveled.  I arrived just after the ambulance and fast as I could, I got into the gym to see Logan.

He was a lump on the floor, unresponsive, but breathing.  Someone took the baby so I could get on my knees next to Logan.  His eyes slowly fluttered open, his pupils huge & black, and closed again a handful of times. Finally they opened and locked on my face. He gave half a smile. I asked him where he was, but he couldn't answer.  I asked what hurt and he clumsily touched his forehead.

Then he tried to get up on all fours, but his legs kept sliding out from under him.  The EMT's gently loaded him onto the stretcher and wheeled him out to the parking lot. The police officer who had arrived after the 911 call offered to drive my van to the hospital so I could ride with Logan in the ambulance.  I buckled Carly into one seat behind Logan and I sat by his side in another seat.  At that point he had begun talking, and the relief that washed over me was unlike any ever in my life.

He was able to tell me who his teacher was and that his head hurt. They put in an IV and checked his blood sugar.  Before we knew it, we had arrived at the hospital.  I had to go check him in while they wheeled him back.  Once I was done with the paperwork I met Logan in his room and Josh arrived. 

I had attempted to call him on the drive to the school, but it went to voicemail.  Thankfully our principal knows the superintendent at Josh's district and called him personally to make sure Josh got the message that one of the twins had had a seizure and was being ambulanced to the ER.

The boys' teachers both came out to the ambulance to check on me before we left and see how they could help.  Jack's teacher offered to keep him and Wyatt as long as necessary so Josh and I could both be with Logan.  The principal held the baby while I tended to Logan, and all the staff was doing, and had done, all they could to make a bad situation better.  The secretary I spoke with even stayed on the phone with me until I was leaving the house, reminding me kindly to breathe.

After his initial check up, Logan took a nap.  He had some idea of what had happened and was able to tell us that he'd had a headache just before lunch.  When he woke up from his nap, we were talking about the ambulance ride and he said he thought it was like a bus. "Speaking of buses," he said to me, "We got to practice bus evacuations today.  And when it was my turn, I forgot to duck and hit my head really hard."  My wheels started turning, asking Logan the questions necessary to try and piece together some type of timeline. 

So what I think happened is this: He did bus training, knocking his forehead on the shortened door frame.  Then he had reading group & a splitting headache. Then he went to wash up for lunch and felt dizzy upon standing and very shaky.  He made it to the cafeteria where he ate one thing from his lunch and was working on his chips when he had a grand mal seizure that they think lasted roughly four minutes.

I spoke with the ER doctor about this new development and she said that in many cases children with concussions can have seizures.  So for the foreseeable future, we have to watch Logan when he's swimming or in the bath tub, and he can't climb on anything higher than six feet, in case he has another seizure. We don't want him to suffer a secondary injury from a fall.  In terms of the concussion he may or may not have, we have to watch for worsening headache or vomiting. 

To be careful, we are keeping him home from school tomorrow, but from there, he will likely be back to his normal activity barring any climbing. With a single seizure, the protocol is to simply wait and see.  If there are more seizures, then you follow up with a neurologist and think about medication. But if this is a one time event, you just let time pass and pray it doesn't happen again.

Josh's cousin Januari brought us dinner and many people in the community have reached out to check on us.  We're so grateful.  Continued prayers for Logan's healing are welcome, as are prayers for Jack and other classmates who witnessed Logan's seizure.  A seizure is a very scary thing to witness (I've watched Josh suffer two seizures) and my heart goes out to Logan's friends (and brother) who were with him when it happened.  Tonight poor Jack was so exhausted after a long day worrying, but could not fall asleep.  He asked me to lay with him and as I snuggled in next to him on his pillow, he found my hand and grabbed it tight. He told me he didn't want to sleep cause he was worried Logan wasn't going to wake up in the morning. 

We prayed together and I assured him that if the doctor was worried we'd still be at the hospital.  And then I hugged him tight and thanked God for such a tender hearted brother.

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Around Here: Week 41

Twins are different: Exhibit A 

Feeling... more at home in our new hometown, but also looking forward to a trip "home" at the end of the month for my nephews' birthday party.  I can get around town without GPS (woot! woot!) and have a few friends I could call upon in an emergency. It feels great. Planning our trip home also feels great, knowing we'll get some much needed quality time with those we miss so much!

Petting... our new kitties!  I haven't captured a good shot of George yet as he mostly lives under beds. ;) But I'm hoping next week he'll have ventured out and warmed up to us.  Ramona, on the other hand, is uber friendly and playful.  The boys are all thrilled to have pets and I think once they settle in it will be really lovely for our family.

Preparing... to lead the next two book club books, My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman and Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver.  If you feel so inclined, please visit our The Inspired Readers' Book Club facebook page and join us! We'd love to have you!

Studying... the bible with bible study videos from Beth Moore.  I use this link to choose different studies and am feeling so inspired and comforted by her.

Laughing... alongside Carly as her brothers crack her up. I think I shared five videos of her laughing on Instagram & Facebook this week (#sorrynotsorry) she's just SO adorable!

Worrying... about Wyatt's cough. It's lasted about five weeks now and we went to the doctor this week, and he thinks Wyatt may have asthma. We're working on getting it under control with the nebulizer and some antibiotics in case it's not asthma.  I can't wait for him to feel 100% again.

Loving... Jack's newfound love of writing.  He's pumping out stories, working in the office at the desk like a grown up, and talking about being an author when he grows up.  It's melting this writer-mama's heart!

Attempting... to keep my anxiety at bay. It's manifesting these days (per usual) as health concerns and a rapid heart beat that makes me feel constantly afraid. I'm praying it's just cause #fourkids & stress and that with a little more sleep (and maybe some extra prayers) I'll be back to my old self.  My bigger worry is that it's a seasonal depression thing (with fall coming) coupled with the anniversary of my first miscarriage and that I'm going to spiral down a bit. Prayers & words of encouragement welcome.

Proud... of the twins and Wyatt adjusting so well to school.  They've been in school six(ish) weeks now and our routine feels totally normal.  I love their excitement for new friendships & learning.  I hope it lasts for always!

Struggling... to not compare Logan & Jack. Gosh, for identical twins, they sure are different.  Jack is a super organized student, whereas Logan struggles to stay organized.  Luckily they have found their niches in class and get along great with their teachers, so I have hope everything will turn out alright, even though going through Logan's binder makes me cringe.

Rearranging... the dining room to make it more functional.  I am loving the activity shelf we have in there and the new placement of Carly's high chair, which has it more out of the way than it was.  It's so nice to work in our house and make spaces more user friendly for our family.

Lounging... with an extra day off this weekend.  I think having today off was just what we all needed.  A day to breathe, to get caught up on things that sat undone all week, and to enjoy those new sweet kitties of ours.

Soaking up... all the advice our Mentor Moms gave at MOPS yesterday. Many of their ideas really rang true for me and I'm going to be implementing some changes per their advice.  Mostly the mentor moms encouraged me to look at this stage of my life differently, and it has me appreciating the little things, like Wyatt playing cars on his belly in the dining room.  Or Logan coming out of his bedroom in the mornings with his two favorite stuffed animals tucked under his arm.  Or Jack leaving "projects" (read: gallons of tape & markered cardboard) all over the house.  Too soon these days will be but a memory.  And I'll wish I was back here, with my four children gathered together under one roof.  So for now, I'm going to try & relish it.

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