Sorry it has been a while!

Update on Oklahoma, we didn't get to go! Kevin's grandma ended up catching something and we stayed home. So, we had vacation in Lawrence. It was actually really fun for me and the kids. We went to do all the things that we usually don't have time for and took our time doing things we usually do. We ate out often for lunch (even ordering anything we wanted), went downtown to play at The Toy Store, went to the St. Patrick's Day Parade, Kevin stayed home a few days, I got my hair cut/colored (yeah!), and we went to the zoo in Topeka with cousins. We even played at the park and had ice cream from the ice cream truck (William!). Enjoy the pics!

Everyone at the Zoo.

This lion kept roaring and pacing - a really neat sound.

(Side note here - I always had a soft spot in my heart for the Topeka Zoo, I went there as a kid, and even when William was little and loved it. We loved the tropical forest, the hippos, and they seemed to have all the good animals without being too big. WELL - this time I was quite disappointed. It may have been the slightly cool weather, and while the zoo was nice (especially the REALLY clean bathrooms), I could barely withstand the smells from both the rainforest and the hippo building!!! And, I used to be able to tolerate just about anything. Maybe I am just becoming more sensitive as I get older, but OH MY GOSH!!! It took me at least 10 minutes to get used to the smell and my stomach even turned a bit. So, next time, we are going to head east to the KC Zoo and check it out. I know it is BIG, but I am hoping for a better experience for me anyway. :) Who knows, we may even end up in Nebraska at the Omaha Zoo, or St. Louis. next.)

The Rainforest Dome

Stop getting so big!

This sloth had a baby hiding up in the vent with her. Really cool.

My grandma's sister also had a nice vacation here for a couple weeks. She did wonderful taking care of and spending time with my grandmother. We will miss her! She barely made it back to California though with a big snow storm that blew into Wichita (12+inches). It was a great visit for her, but also sad because she worried that it might be the last one. It's true that my grandmother is getting worse, becoming more frail with her body getting away from her at times. While I am looking forward to her moving on eternally, I just realized today how much Kate will really miss her. She loves spending time with Grandma Great, and it's funny to see part of Gma being passed on to Kate. (Kate thinks all tags have to be cut out now.) While I have mixed emotions about having Kate spend hours at her house from time to time, I know that it is a blessing for my Gma and even for Kate, being showered with pure, loyal, love.

Watch out for the crocodile!

Eating giant popsicles at the park.

Okay, things have been kind of slow around here lately, yeah! We were actually planning on going to Oklahoma to visit Kevin's grandma for Spring Break, but she ended up ill, so we are staying home and vacationing. It has actually been really fun, and we have taken time to do alot of things that we don't feel like we usually have the time to do or things that are on more our "special" list. I think the best thing has just been slowing down with the kids and really just hanging out with each other, playing games, eating slow, and no agenda. We did make it to the St. Patrick's Day Parade with temperatures in the 80's. It's been a while since I have done a parade. In fact, I don't think I have done one since before Kate was born? I can't remember, but the kids loved it and we made it a family event, having lunch with my brother first and watching the parade with Mima, friends, and cousins. Yeah for vacation!!!

(Oh, and my grandmother's sister is also staying with her for 2 weeks, so things are nice and slow for me in that department. She is doing really well helping my grandmother and following along her usual routine. My grandmother is doing ok having her around, though sometimes I'm sure it's a little sad to remind her of how things used to be, and tiring for her to be on "hosting" mode, but it's working out overall.)

Firetrucks (loud) and Horses!

What more can you ask for?

A little outback style?

Always a smile

Cooling off before the parade


Uncle David and little boy

I love William. He is such a big help around the house, even when he gets distracted. :) He has such a sweet heart, and I miss spending more time with him now that he is in his second year of school. He is a wonderful son, and I don't tell him enough.

So, Thank you William! For all that you do.

Okay, now to finish up my post.

KATE's BIRTHDAY!!!

Kate turned 3 last month, and it took us forever to finally get her birthday party done. I guess I should back up and say, that I had been thinking and planning about what to do for her birthday since January. I made Kevin sit and talk with me for over an hour and try to solve the birthday party conundrum that we are lucky to have. We are very lucky to have both sides of our families in the same town, so thus, we end up with not 1 or even 2, but sometimes 4 birthday parties for our children! I was sure there must be some way to pare it down to 1 or 2, but alas, we are only able to get down to 3 (1 party with mom/dad and mom's family, another party with dad's family, and finally a friend party...)! I am also still organizing and unpacking and I couldn't imagine what she was going to do with a bunch of new toys. While short on girl toys at first, after Christmas and her family birthday party this year, I couldn't imagine what she would even need or where I wanted to put it... Oh, and actually there are 2 other little friends that have birthdays a day and a few weeks from Kate that we are always trying to watch out for when having parties. (We usually end up inviting a lot of the same people anyway.) :)

SO, after her birthday had gone and past by a few weeks, and the party favors and pink plates, forks, and napkins that we had so much fun picking out were still sitting on top of the fridge, I finally got it together enough to give our friends a heads up on Sunday, and then called everyone the night before to come to her party the next afternoon. :) Thankfully, almost everyone was able to make it. AND, since I was kind of concerned about the whole getting a million presents thing, we decided to take a page from a friend's un-birthday party at the end of last year. For Kate's party, we asked everyone to bring something from home, they already had, that someone might like for a gift (surely, I couldn't be the only one whose house was overflowing with extra toys from time to time), and then we drew numbers and had a gift exchange (with NO stealing...). It turned out to be a lot of fun, and everyone went home with a little gift. I also stole another page from a friend's party earlier in the year, and just let them play, have some cake, and then open presents. Very simple, yet fun and just the right amount of time for the younger crowd. Overall, it turned out to be a really nice party (thank you everyone for coming). I think it will be something that we will repeat with many birthdays to come.

A lovely, pink cake baked only a hour or so before... :)

Lots of friends, and a little family

One of the best things ever, living in the same neighborhood as cuz!

Oh, and a couple other things ----- Nathan finally broke his first tooth yesterday! (Grandpa wins for noticing! We really had no idea.) :) He also tried his first table food (mashed potatoes), but wasn't really thrilled with it. Probably because he had to use his fingers...

I couldn't decide which one to choose, so here they both are!

AND, FINALLY ----- Grandma's paperwork got turned in! I have been working with an attorney to arrange medicaid support for my grandmother in helping to cover the cost of her Alzheimer's care, and it is the BIGGEST paperwork headache in the world (even for the lawyer). I have also had to spend hours on the phone talking with case managers, supervisors, transferring case managers, and making sure that she is receiving the care that she needs. If you can believe it, the first case manager that came to her home and interviewed us (as well as one of her caregivers) came up with a total of 8 hours of assistance for my grandmother! Currently, we have arranged support for her almost 70 hours a week. It was a combination of a really poor case manager (or her having a rough spot in her personal life right now) and the fact that we cannot answer questions completely in front of my grandmother. (We always try to avoid any type of embarrassment or upsetting her by obviously pointing out things that she can and cannot do on her own anymore.) Physically, my grandmother's health is very fair, but we have really started noticing that her memory in daily living activities is really slipping. She still knows who we are, and can laugh and smile with the kids, but she is getting worse. There are so many things that we take for granted that she cannot remember anymore. Just a normal morning or night routine, brushing hair, teeth, knowing if we have done things or not. I actually had to sit down and spend a hour or two writing out a daily schedule for my grandma, so that her caregivers can monitor the completion of those activities. It actually reminded me of when I first had William (and even when Kate came along), and that anytime I would drop him off at someone's house, I had a childcare sheet that had a whole schedule of when and what he would eat, and even included how he liked to fall asleep. (Poor Nathan, no more sheets...) :) But, it was very similar.

ANYWAY, it has been quite a deal. I remember speaking with the supervisor of all the case managers of Douglas county as well as a couple other counties, and as she was talking to me (NO ONE would have been able to make it through this conversation!!!) she insinuated that my grandmother should be put into a nursing home and asked what do I or my mom do!!! Luckily, I was VERY patient and VERY nicely explained everything to her, even stroking her ego a bit. I was willing to give her and another case manager a chance before going above her head and really raising a ruckus. I was still shocked about some of her comments, and she was VERY lucky that it was me on the phone, and that she hadn't had any extra chances yet! Oh, and when I told her about some of my grandmother's medications involving eye drops and 10 minutes with a washcloth on her eyes, she said well that would take about 30 seconds for eye drops and 60 seconds for the washcloth. Ummmm, wait she has Alzheimer's. If someone puts a washcloth on her face and then walks out of the room, she will NOT KNOW why she has a washcloth on her face or how long 10 minutes is. REALLY! (Medicaid only pays for time people are actually ASSISTING, which is fine, but please think through how something really has to be done when someone has Alzheimer's...) Well, thank goodness our new case manager is top-notch and really knows her stuff. She is also an older lady herself (60's) and had been a nursing home administrator for 21 years. (I specifically asked for someone with Alzheimer's experience.) She has already been 100 times better than the previous one, and we have yet to meet in person. Oh, and she really cares about us.

Sorry for the superlong post, but like I said so much has happened and MUCH has been accompli shed. :)

Sorry it has taken me a while to get back here, but much has happened and much has been accomplished!

First of all, Nathan is standing all by himself... He is not yet crusing around, but he has really good balance and can even eat while he is standing. He seems so little to be up and about like that, but deep down I know it won't be long before he is walking, I just don' want to admit it. After all, he may be my last little boy and I wish he would slow down on the growing up. I have always loved my chilren, but after being a mom for 6 years, I have really learned how to cherish them and each moment. (BTW, he is also still really, really cute.)

Kate had her first hair cut! I think it will take about 10 years for Kate's hair to actually grow long, but we finally decided it was time to have it trimmed because it really just started looking messy. (You really know it looks messy when Daddy is the one who points it out...) So, we took her to Uncle David for her first haircut! I kind of wondered how she would do, and we talked about it beforehand how she might get her hair wet, she will need to sit still, and that uncle david would use scissors to trim the ends. In fact, I worried a tiny bit because William is very dramatic about having hair fall on his neck during and after a hair cut. BUT, I should have known. Kate is a girly girl, and she just sat there nice and tall, head up, and just let david do everything without so much as a bother. In fact, she looked like it was a perfectly normal everyday occurence, and that it was only right. :) Her hair lays much better now, and while it will take years for her hair to get long, her curls are beautiful.

Just an everyday thing...

After

Okay, what else... Well, I'll get back to you... kiddos are having a tough time following the rules and getting along while I am typing. :) I usually do this after they are fast asleep. Now I remember why...

I love how we get to hang with cousins!

Someone took a fancy to the bell... :)

Fire Station Playgroup!

Playgroup has been a part of my life ever since William was little, and I would attend almost religiously. I couldn't even imagine why anyone would have reasons or little desire to join in. I used to take William (and Kate as she came along) to the library, the park, berry/apple picking, and even made trips to KC to the Deanna Rose Farmstead (free and HIGHLY recommended!). There are even a few of the same moms since William's 2-4 year old days.

These days, however, playgroup has become a special occasion. I am figuring out that things in life change. While I strive to find constants and absolutes to satisfy my need to organize life, I am understanding phases and continual change in life. While taking care of my grandma, three kids, and home and church responsibilities, I can only make special efforts to be there for things that are unique or I think that Kate will truly enjoy. Before we left, I told Kate we were going to a fire station, and she had no idea what a fire station, fireman, or even firetruck was! I guess she is a girl... I think I am also beginning to understand that while I think I've figured out how to keep laundry from exploding all over our basement, that sometimes my "fool proof" approach will need to be modified from time to time. What I mean is, I am always trying to figure out the "best" way to organize or accomplish something, and I am realizing that the "best" way changes. One way can work for a while, but it will not last forever. And, that's okay. It's just time to reassess and take another approach. I thought that someday I would get everything figured out, but now I am realizing that does not exist. BUT, I can hone my skills at figuring out the best way to do something until things change. Then, I will work on figuring out the new "best" way of doing things.... :) I also have a new saying - 3 kids equals superspeed. (At least for me. Although, I have never really known 3 kids without my grandma...)

FYI - Nathan is a big sinker. After crawling going on 3 weeks, getting on his knees for 1, getting to his feet 2 days ago, he is now pulling himself up wherever he can, (even made it on the couches upstairs which don't really have good handholds) and he is even moving his feet a bit, taking a couple steps here and there, and he is still 7 months old.

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

Well, he is still really, really cute.

I just LOVE those black and white pictures of my kids. Kids doesn't seem a soft, loving enough word to describe them sometimes. And, as I mentioned before - not really in relation to Valentine's Day - here are some things I love:


1. Holding Nathan and looking into his sleepy eyes.

2. Kate noticing the things I do for her, and always says "Thank you, Mommy."

3. Chatting with William about life, and I wish I had more time to play games with him.

4. Kate volunteering to get things for me. And, that she can make herself a sippy cup with water, and get a bowl, a spoon, milk, and the box of cereal. :)

5. Nathan's ready smile, deep blue eyes, and good nature.

6. A freshly tuned piano. Mmmm. (I love it when it's some of the best money you have ever spent!)

7. Long, slow breakfasts, where you can order anything you feel like, and take as long as you want. (The best Valentine's yet!)

8. William's hard work and best efforts. (School, laundry, breakfast, "babysitting", babyfood...) He really helps me keep things afloat around this place!

9. A deep, trusting relationship that I often take for granted. (Sorry, Kevin)

10. Friends and family that support me throughout all of my trials and smiles in life. Thank you. I am truly grateful. (And I guess 10 is a good round number. Just kidding!)

So enough of that cheese! I do have to say I do not love paperwork. I get LOTS of extra paperwork with helping my grandmother. I feel bad for the trees, but I feel worse for gma. Today she said, "This is so hard. I never imagined anything like this happening. How do you suppose this happened? Do you know something? You've got to know something about my head." I really didn't know what to say. Tomorrow she goes in for a CT Scan to see how things are. I guess we'll see. I don't know how things will ultimately play out, but I sure hope they will not be too much more painful for her to go through. ANYWAY! I want to end on a positive note. Here are some cute pictures from Valentine's. Happy Valentine's Day. (I told my students that it is really a made up holiday, BUT it is still a good time to remember to appreciate those you do love, family and friends.) So, Happy Valentine's!

We didn't realize that the sprinkles did not have a shaker cover on them. At least we weren't the only ones!

A cute, but silly smile!

Just thought I would post a few recent pics so everyone can see the fam. Thank you, Lori!

My how time flies! It has already been half a year since I have had a chance to re-enter the blog world, and SO much has changed!

1. We moved! Yes, we had just decided that we were not going to move into a bigger house after having baby #3, Nathan, (who wants to start their mortgage over, and we really could have fit forever if we wanted) but then...

2. My grandmother with Alzheimer's moved in with us for 2 months, bought our house, and then we bought a bigger house just 1 block down. (Sounds simple doesn't it... NOT!) :)

3. I am the person in charge taking care of my grandmother. (Long story, but I am working on writing it out to journal sometime. I think that is really what my blog is going to be for me. I will gladly post pictures and blog events, but my purpose in this will really be a place for me to record and journal our life. Enjoy!) :)

4. I JUST took down my christmas decorations 2 days ago. A new record, I'm sure. But, now my house is back to bare walls and the just moved in look. It really takes a long time to unpack when time is spent taking care of family and grandma.

I just added that last one in for fun, but it is true. I still stay at home taking care of our three perfect (well, almost) kids, teach violin about 5 hours a week, and spend a lot of time organizing the care or directly caring for my grandmother. It has been 2-3 weeks now with almost full time help for her though, and I actually found time that I didn't know what to do with!!! A little time for myself. Taking care of aging grandparents, especially with Alzheimer's, is a highly consuming job. I don't have to worry about having child #4 for quite some time. :) And, I guess I should say, William is 6 1/2, Kate just turned 3 on ground hog day!, and Nathan is 7 months and is slowly crawling around all over. His favorite things to do are chew on socks and kleenex. I definitely do not need a puppy. :) He is also trying to eat my arm right now, so I better get going. But, next time, a blog on Things I Love...

(I didn't even realize that goes right along with Valentine's until I checked my blog for editing an hour later...) :)

COUNTY FAIR con't.

What made this day even better was friends and family! We met a couple friends from church, Livia and Janice, to go through the petting zoo around 4pm, and then later we met my sister-in-law, Lori, and her family to have some food and visit the animals again. It was an amazing time to have all the cousins together, and spend time with family. Not to be too cheesy, but they are going to some of our best memories.


Cousins, Kate and Ava. Kate gets soooooo excited when she get to see her cousins.

Cousins again.
William and Ava are really starting to play a lot. Now that she's older, he has another partner in crime. They even kept holding hands to stay together at the fair.

Nathan along for the ride.

And of course, snow cones! It seems to be a Mom, William, Kate thing. We LOVE snow cones and slushies.

The COUNTY FAIR!

I LOVE the fair. Growing up, I went to the fair every year. I love looking at the animals, seeing what kids are learning in 4-H, and reminiscing about growing up in the country (though I did not do 4-H). I hope to pass that appreciation of green pastures and fields on to my family. So far, so good, although William is still not convinced that he would want to live in the country because there are bugs and poison ivy. He isn't sure he would like to raise certain animals either because they smell. :)


Two cute kids at the petting zoo.

Kate kept seeing what she thought was people feeding the animals dirt. Here, she decided the animal would like some straw. Other times, she would put her hand in the dirt and hold them up to the animals. Since they were used to people holding out their hands with food, the animals would fall for it every time, thinking that Kate had food for them. Kate just thought that was what you were supposed to do. :)

They had some really neat animals at the petting zoo - a zebra, llamas, lemurs, but this was probably the best - a kangaroo with a joey in its pouch. The first time we went to see them, all we could see was a foot and a tail hanging out. The second time we went around, William caught the joey poking its head out of the pouch. I even thought this was neat. I have never seen it before.

William found a hissing goose. For some reason, I couldn't get him to stand any closer...

Swimming Lessons, Level 2

To me, swimming is super important. It's one of the only bad dreams I have on occasion - trying to keep William and Kate from going underwater. William is learning, with lots of room for practice. :) He is a little nervous going in the deeper parts of the pool, and cannot let go of his nose for anything! The really fun thing was, we were able to sign up with a couple good friends from church, George and Carson. He has had a great time, and is a lot more comfortable in the water. We also went to McDonald' s Playland to celebrate. Next summer, lessons again! Maybe we'll get in a few more weeks since we won't have to schedule around a new baby... :)

Goofy William.

William and girl sitting on lilypad.

Bunch of friends at McD's!

Here is the new addition to our family! Nathan was born on June 23, 8 lbs. 6 oz., 19 inches long, actually our smallest baby yet. He seemed so tiny to us, especially when he was in the 7 lbs. We even had to use newborn diapers... :) Kate loves having a real baby around, and loves putting all her babies and stuffed animals in his car seat, bouncer, and swing. The buckles are always buckled (Lori!). William is a proud older brother, but isn't really impressed with him yet. He doesn't have that many tricks. I know as he gets bigger and more interesting we'll have a hard time getting him away from William as well.

Baby Nathan

Kate and Nathan

Beautiful kids

Big brother William and Nathan