OUR FISHY CRACKER

Sick

2012-02-11T21:15:00.000-05:00

Jonathon has been wonderful so far this winter. Just a runny nose a couple of times. Not this time. It started last Saturday with a runny nose. Figured he caught something from being out in the weather for Grandpa's funeral so I put him on Benedryl. Last night it became worse and by this morning at 5a.m. the boy was blowing his nose(hooray he can actually blow his nose) non stop. Like 30 Kleenex by 6:30a.m. so off to the dr. we went at 11a.m.

Congested, drainage, sinus.....on amoxicillin...Good news is that his lungs are clear. So....

Have to cancel swimming again this week.....oh well

I hope after one dose of amoxicillin he sleeps better tonight because mommy is T i r e d ! ! ! and would love to sleep past 3a.m.

Listening

2012-02-10T22:02:00.000-05:00

My dearest child....When I ask you to pick up your toys....could you do it instead of me asking you 40 more times....

My dearest child....Could you get up and get ready for bed when I ask you the first time instead of 40 more times....

My dearest child.....I took your t.v. out of your room because you were not listening to me.....

My dearest child....When you learn to listen....you will get your t.v. back...

My dearest child....When I say put your coat on to go to school....could you just go out to the kitchen and do it....

Overall you have been somewhat better after 2 weeks of no t.v.

Thank you for trying.....

But when you scream at me in the grocery store....you once again will not get any t.v. time....or pizza....or taco bell....or McDonalds.....and no....no trip to the movie store.

We will keep trying....I know you will get it!

I love you

Naps

2012-02-09T20:53:00.001-05:00

are getting shorter and shorter everyday....Jonathon has been waking up at 5:15a.m. for quite some time now. I won't let him get up until 6:30a.m. though. I believe he is on the time change already. A little early my son......

And then he seems a little tired so I attempt to get him to take a nap. It takes a little longer than normal for him to fall asleep..around 30 minutes to an hour where it used to be 5 minutes. And then when he is snoring away and I sneak out....I get about 30 minutes and he is back......

I think naps will be done soon.

Which is okay, he is really a good boy and plays quietly...I just feel bad when he gets up so early...I think he needs rest, but then when he is tapping on me at 5a.m. oh I just want to sleep! And then mommy needs a nap!

Wordless Wednesday

2012-02-08T20:01:00.000-05:00

Happy birthday to me

2012-02-07T20:15:00.000-05:00

Today was mostly like any other day except for the fact that it's my birthday. 43 today. Wow....I remember telling my mom and dad that 40 was sooo old. Goodness, was I naive or what?

Every year as I get older I find it harder and harder to believe that I am actually "that" old. I don't feel old...."that" old. I can't believe that I have a 17 year old child. And a 15 year old child. My teenagers have grown up so quick. And I am so proud of them. And holy moly.....I have a 4 year old.

Jonathon keeps me young!

My boys were good to me today. They made sure the kitchen was clean before they headed out to school. They did errands after school for me. (very nice having an extra driver in the house) And they actually just kinda sat around and chatted with me before dinner instead of just coming in and heading off to do homework. That was nice. That's all I needed.

We ate dinner and then I opened up a couple of presents. A Coca Cola from Gilbert....because I can't live without my Coca Cola. (thanks hubby). The boys got me a snuggle blanket. That will be nice when I am relaxing watching t.v.(I am always freezing).

Kenny is going to take me out shopping this weekend. That should be fun.

And my sis and her hubby(Carol-Ann and Dave) with new puppy Scarlett stopped by really quick to drop off something for Kenny. I got a nice cake sheet with a cover and some Spearmint life savers(my new addiction after giving up cigerettes)from them. Thanks sis! I love it.

Scarlett is so cute. And so big already. Tiny met her really quick because they couldn't stay, we will get the dogs together another day.

So pretty much just another day around here...except for it was my birthday!

my new snuggie

Kenny, Jonathon and me

Andrew, Jonathon, Tiny and me

Swimming Cancelled

2012-02-06T20:01:00.000-05:00

again! Very frustrating....I was really hoping that Jonathon would be able to swim all winter. He has been doing an amazing job learning and he loves to learn and listen to Miss Maggie. He just loves the water.....

First half of winter swimming was cancelled because of various reasons...Then Miss Maggie had swimming with a different child and then Miss Maggie had her own plans and we couldn't swim. Today was our first day back.....so we thought.

Jonathon came down with a runny nose this weekend. I don't know if its from all the misc. doctor appointments he has been to lately for his older brothers or from the damp weather on Friday when we had grandpa's funeral. I thought about letting him go, but then decided not too.

He loves to swim and I am sad that he missed, but I don't want him swimming in a public pool with a cold. I would hope the other parents do the same. And I don't want his cold getting worse because I let him swim....

Maybe next week we will be able to go swimming.....

Happy Heart Day!

2012-02-05T21:28:00.001-05:00

My boys and I went to the movies today. We took Jonathon to see Alvin and the Chipmunks...Shipwrecked this morning.

Waiting for movie to start

Brotherly Love

After the movies we stopped off and picked up a cake and balloons for Jonathon.

Loves to get balloons

When we got home we made soup and sandwiches for lunch. Then we turned on the radio and listened to music while we all hung out together and played with Jonathon. We had dinosaurs, and army guys, and imaginext castles. It was a very nice lazy afternoon.

Later on in the afternoon we decided to watch Gnomeo and Juliet with Jonathon. While the boys watched the movie I made an easy dinner....eggs, sausage, toast and pancakes..

After Gnomeo and Juliet finished, we hurried and fed the animals and then got out the cake to celebrate some more!

me and Jonathon

Kenny, Jonathon and Daddy

Kenny, Jonathon, Andrew and Daddy

Happy Heart Day my son....I am so grateful that 4 years ago we were able to have your asd/vsd corrected. I am so thankful each and everyday that you are healthy and that your heart is doing great.

Atrial septal defect (ASD) repair......The atrial septum is the wall between the left and right atria of the heart. There is a natural opening before birth and this usually closes on its own when a baby is born, but when it doesn't the baby/child has an ASD.

So you had open heart surgery...OHS to correct this. The dr. used stitches to close the hole.

Ventricular septal defect (VSD) repair......The ventricular septum is the wall between the left and right ventricles of the heart. A hole in the ventricular septum is called a VSD.

Sometimes these holes close on their own after time, but yours did not. You had open heart surgery to have this corrected. Dr. put a gortex patch on you. (the material that is used to make wet suits for scuba divers)

Peace

2012-02-03T21:11:00.000-05:00

Today was Grandpa Stones memorial. Finally. He passed away on Jan 3, 2011. And so much had to be done to get him from Florida to Michigan. But today Family and Friends gathered for a few hours and we all said our "Goodbye".

I promise to take good care of your Tiny dog grandpa! She will be loved and always have a home with us.

I believe that Jonathon and her will become the best of friends!

I love you grandpa and will miss you dearly.....

"Goodbye"

Wordless Wednesday

2012-02-01T20:37:00.000-05:00

Happy 17th Birthday Andrew!

One Week

2012-01-31T20:23:00.000-05:00

ago we picked up a little doggie that came in from Florida. She was scared alone and lost. We didn't know what to expect....We have always had big dogs and this little doggie came a long way to get a new family. This little doggie lost her owner suddenly when he took a nap and never woke up again. this little doggie has a brother and sister in Florida still and they are still looking for a forever new family too.

So on Tuesday night we sat with her for a couple of hours and then showed her to her bed(kennel). She was very quiet all night long. She curled up in a ball and slept.

On Wednesday morning I took her to the vet to have her checked out. She is healthy. She is a little over weight. She weighs 12.8lbs. She is on a diet now. Grandpa mainly fed her table food, especially chicken so she has bad teeth too. I told the vet that she has not been going potty and he said not to be concerned just yet and to just treat her like a puppy and she will probably be fine. I left her at the vet to get her nails trimmed and to get a bath. I picked her up in the afternoon. The girls at the vet said she did not go potty and that she did not sleep all day. She just sat in the cage and watched everyone. I said that she probably thought she got a new home and then got dumped off again. I felt really bad for her. Jonathon and I took her home and gave her some more lovin........

On Thursday morning I took her to meet my brothers little dog.....Taco Bell a.k.a. Daisy. When we first got there the 2 big dogs scared the "poop" right out of her. She met Taco Bell and growled. Taco Bell dog wanted to play but Tiny wasn't ready yet so she sat in a chair instead.

Then we thought we would be funny with her so we did this.....

It was very loud in Uncle John's garage so Tiny found these headphones!
Later on Thursday afternoon I got my first scare. Tiny tried to get away. I was watching out the window and I seen her pulling the harness off her head so I ran out the door. By the time I got to her she was just getting the sweater off her head. We both rolled around in the mud and she squealed and kicked her little legs like a piggy......My heart was pounding....It is a long way to Florida.

So Friday morning I packed up Tiny, Jonathon and Kenny and headed off to Pet Smart. I wanted to get a harness that would fit her correctly so she couldn't get it off. I have to tie her up to go potty because I don't want her to run away and I can't always be outside with her because of Jonathon and the weather. but I didn't want to lose her either. Pet Smart people were very helpful. We got her a new pretty pink harness, a new sweater, and a little collar along with a tag that says Tiny and that she belongs to Jonathon Panczyk and our phone number. It was alot of fun shopping for a little dog.

We stopped off at a couple more stores quickly and then brought Tiny home. Friday night we left her for a couple of hours to go to a birthday party. I hated leaving her and locking her up in her kennel. She did fine and we were back pretty quick. Friday night she finally ate her dinner and drank some water.

On Saturday she sat with Jonathon for a few minutes. I really hope they end up being best friends. I think she will be good for Jonathon.

On Sunday she started getting more comfortable with all of us. She seemed a little more happy and not as sad anymore. We celebrated Andrew's birthday on Sunday so we had a house full. Tiny did great. I was really shocked when my mom walked in the door and said Hi. Tiny jumped down and ran right up to her. You see my mom lives in Florida. Across the road from her father, which is my grandfather, which was Tiny's owner. So Tiny knows mom very very well. I was really worried after all our hard work that she would be sad again when my mom left........

Monday was my turning point. When we started out our day Tiny seemed happier. I was going to take her to school with us in the morning, but on the way out to the van my door handle broke off and Andrew got hurt(cut) and fell on the ice so we put Tiny in her kennel. Fixed Andrew up and went to school without her.

When I got home from dropping the boys off I immediately came in and let her back out. She started following me around the house while I was cleaning and doing misc. things. She was funny and I had alot of fun with her. When I put her out in the afternoon I sat and watched her from a distance. She seemed different. She was wagging her tail and running around on her rope. And then a miracle happened. She peed and she pooped. FINALLY! I was really getting worried. Later on in the day i took her with me and Jonathon to pick the boys up fro school. She really likes to go for a ride.

I think we have a happy little dog now. She likes everyone. She is nervous around the cats and the cats hide from her too, but I think in time all will be okay with animals in the house. I had to do to a few dr. appts today so she had to go in her kennel from 9 to 1 the first time and then back in from 1:30 to 3p.m. When I got home and let her out a 1p.m. she was so so happy to see me. She wagged her tail and ran right up to me. I knelt down on the floor to pet her and she literally jumped into my lap. It was a great feeling. This little doggie loves me! And we love her too.

She is a different dog tonight than she was 1 week ago. As I sit and type this out she is sound asleep right next to me on my bed. She is a good little dog. I'm sure she still misses her brother and sister at times, but I think she will forget them soon because she has so much love in this house.

We are still working on her going outside and going potty right away. She has only had 2 accidents on my kitchen floor. I haven't figured out yet if I am taking her out too much and she doesn't have to go or she is still holding it sometimes. She eats really well for me now morning and night. I would like her to drink more water, but then again I don't know. The water intake might be perfect for her size. I am used to what Scruffy eats and drinks. And as soon as I let Scruffy out he does his business and comes right back. I liked it when it snowed the other day because i could see yellow snow.....I know I know...but it helped to tell me she was going. Now I am back to mud and green so I have to watch her and hope she doesn't have an accident. Once we know for sure that she has it down what to do and she actually goes when I let her out then she won't have to go back in the kennel at night. but until then that is where she sleeps. She goes to bed at 10:15p.m. and sleeps til 6:30a.m.

This picture did not turn out very well but I wanted to show how the animals are kind of getting along and how they love Jonathon. You can see Jonathon's head down in the right hand corner. He is asleep at nap time. Up in the left you can see Ghost(see her eyes) and then on the white blanket down from ghost and before Jonathon see Tiny dog? Next time I will get a better picture.

New Friends/Family Members

2012-01-23T10:42:00.000-05:00

Grandpa Stone passed away on Jan 3, 2011.....He left behind some very special friends......They now need a home.....

In this picture is two of grandpa's friends/babies......The one sitting down has found a home....She is on her way right now from Florida by car to our home...Her name is Tiny. She is a yorkie/shitzu I am told. And she was born July 2005. Hard to tell right now. I have never met her before because I have not made the trip to Florida in over 13 years. She is a little overweight. She is friendly I am told. She loves hugs I am told. We are excited for her to get here.

She should be arriving on Wednesday this week! I hope she likes us. We will love her unconditionally.

She has a brother and sister in need of a home immediately...If you know anyone or yourself that would love to give a dog a home that had no say in their owner leaving please contact me. I am sorry to say that if we don't find homes in the next few days they will have to be put down. Please pass on to your friends....They are house broken. They are inside dogs. They just need someone to step up and love them since their master is gone.......

The dogs left to be adopted are Cutie(girl) and Lucky(boy).

Celebration Time

2012-01-21T21:01:00.001-05:00

is almost here!

Feb 1 - my oldest will be turning 17

Feb 5 - Happy Heart Day

Feb 7 - mommy's birthday

wordless wednesday

2012-01-18T21:06:00.000-05:00

Wordless Wednesday

2012-01-11T08:43:00.000-05:00

Grandpa/Great Grandpa

2012-01-10T20:30:00.000-05:00

Clarence Stone

My grandfather lived in Florida for many many years. I was only able to visit one time. Andrew was 4 and Kenny was 2. Andrew is now 16 and Kenny is 15. So it was a very long time ago. But grandpa loved to travel and came home to Michigan practically every year until 2008. 2008 was grandpa's last trip home to Michigan. At least he was able to meet Jonathon. I have been trying to save money since then to go and visit, but with a family of 5 and only one parent working and then throw in a child who has special needs......well lets just say we never came up with the money. But I did call and talk on the phone once in a while.

This Christmas grandpa had a major heart attack. His health has been up and down since 2008, but this we did not want. He went into the hospital and they got him back. He stayed there until Christmas eve. He was home for Christmas....I am so happy for that.

Doctors wanted to put in a feeding tube....Grandpa said no! He wanted to taste his food. He wanted to taste his ice cream and raspberries....Grandpa was 89 years old....He lived a good life.

This man had 2 wife's and 1 girlfriend. He was a good man. His first wife...my grandma died when I was very young. But I do remember some things about her. His second wife....Donna lived a very long time and became ill and passed away a few years ago. Then he came across his high school sweet heart a few years ago and they were together to the end. I think it's really neat that grandpa was able to have so much love in his lifetime. If only we all could have that.

Grandpa took a nap on Jan 3, 2012......grandpa left us and went off to heaven that afternoon......

I will miss you grandpa....I will always remember riding the bull at your house when I was a little girl....I am so proud to be your granddaughter.....I am so happy that you were able to visit us and get to know Andrew, Kenny and Jonathon. We were honored to have you in our home.....

Your great grandchildren will miss you. Your great grandchildren love you very much.

Thank you for all the special times and great laughs

RIP

Movie Watching

2012-01-07T21:50:00.000-05:00

Tonight Jonathon, Kenny and I sat down to watch Kung Fu Panda 1 before bed. And let me tell you Jonathon loves this movie. He was laughing so hard that I had to laugh too. I really did not think it was "that" funny, but Jonathon loves Panda getting beat up I guess.

I have waited so long to hear my son laugh at the funny parts and know that he "gets it" What an amazing feeling to have as a parent! I am so happy for him. I am so proud of him!

Next time I will try to video better and get picture too. Today I hid the phone so he wouldn't stop.

Hope you enjoy, I sure did.

Wordless Wednesday

2012-01-04T21:25:00.000-05:00

Back to School

2012-01-03T10:32:00.000-05:00

All 3 boys went back to school today! Kenny was very grumpy as usual. He is 15 now and he is such a smart kid, but boy oh boy does he not like school.

Andrew is 16, almost 17 and finally after all these years of high school is happy and content on going to school. I wonder if it has something to do with going to Tec for Auto Technology.......Hmmmm....Yep! I think that's it.

Jonathon is 4 and will be 5 in July. He likes school. He misses school when he is not there. I just hope that he remains healthy because he has been very very healthy so far this winter. ((knock on wood)). We have not heard back from Miss Maggie about swimming. I hope she calls soon because I would love for him to go again.

I have been purging! Paperwork....paperwork ....and more paperwork. I finally ran across a website that explains what to get rid of and what to keep. Wow! I was keeping a lot of crap that I didn't need to keep. I have been shredding for days.

I am also re organizing Jonathon's room and my room....which in turn makes a mess for my kitchen. I use to have a whiteboard in my kitchen, which no one wanted to use the correct way so I took it down. Now I am going to hang it in my room above my desk. Then it will be right in my face everyday if I need to jot something important down. And I am going to purchase a cork board also and hang above my desk so I can put important papers on.....like Jonathon's IEP. I need this in my face so I can remember and make sure he practices what needs to be done. I am really concerned that he is not going to be able to transfer to kindergarten next year. I would like him to stay with his friends that he has been with for 3 years or more, but I know that that is not the most important thing. But some of their expectations are a little extreme for him....if you ask me. (more about that another time)

So my kitchen will need to be painted.....Jonathon's room looks much better....more room to play and not so cluttered looking. I still have some things to organize. This is because I switched rooms with him. I have alot of things still in there.

I just want a clean start to the new year and I am making alot of goals that I hope I can achieve.

Most of all I hope that my children have a great 2012!!!

"Lets do this"

Happy New Year

2012-01-01T20:58:00.000-05:00

It's 2012!!!!

I sincerely hope that this year brings me happiness....contentment...satisfaction.....pleasure.....

I sat yesterday and looked back on 2011....I realized that a lot has to change....well maybe not a lot of different things, but one main important thing......

Almost time

2011-12-20T10:11:00.002-05:00

for Christmas! Is everyone ready?

We are!!!

Merry Christmas!

It's a Good Day

2011-12-13T10:14:00.003-05:00

Finally got Jonathon better after he has been home with a bad cold and pink eye since last Tuesday. I am happy to say that he was very excited to go back to school to see his friends and his teachers.

Now I just need to keep him healthy for the holidays. This weekend we are celebrating his big brother Kenny's birthday. Kenny is my middle child and I cannot believe he is turning 15.

Jonathon has been working on some Christmas projects for his teachers. We will hopefully get them finished today.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-12-07T11:56:00.001-05:00

Exciting stuff happening.....

2011-12-01T21:38:00.001-05:00

over at an amazing community that I now belong too. A4cwsn has been very very busy over on Facebook. If you have a Facebook account look them up.....check it out...trust me you will not be disappointed.

Gary James is one special person doing unbelievable things and changing the lives of many children. I believe in him 100% and I am proud to be a part of all that is happening!

I have already tried to win an Ipad2 for Jonathon's teacher so she could use it in her classroom. I received minimal support from our school and we did not win the Ipad2 for the class. Jonathon did win an app though. Which was great because it is an app that I could not afford to purchase at this time but had it on my wish list. The app came from http://mobile-educationstore.com/. This has not stopped me. I am going to nominate our school system to win Ipads next. Hopefully the second time around I will get more support. I won't give up because I believe that our children will succeed with the use of an Ipad. I cannot believe how much better Jonathon is talking and starting to form 3 word sentences and we just got our Ipad in October.

Gary started another campaign tonight and amazingly the campaign is still running but we met our goal within the first hour. Phenomenal.........

Over on the right I have added some widgets of some campaigns happening right now. Please help us out and our friends! Even $1.00 will help!

Thank you........

Please pass on the information......check it out for yourself.........and take a look at http://mobile-educationstore.com/. and check out http://a4cwsn.com/.

No Swimming

2011-11-29T19:35:00.001-05:00

for Jonathon this week. I decided to not take Jonathon swimming on Monday. I am glad that he did not remember. Believe it or not he does ask me sometimes on a Monday "Maggie" "Swim". But this week he did not.

I left her a message about his rash and that we would hopefully see her next week. I decided that I want his rash all gone first. Then I will let him go back. Then if he gets a rash again I will know 100% that its the pool water.

Today his rash looks good. It is almost all gone. This makes me happy. I will just keep Eucerin on him daily and hope it works.

I hope that we can figure something out because I don't want him to miss 6 months of swimming.

Picky Picky Picky

2011-11-27T18:44:00.001-05:00

eater is what I now have. And I am not liking it. I don't even want to cook dinner anymore. It is so frustrating.

When Jonathon was around 2 he was a very picky eater. I just kept trying to get him to eat all of the different foods that we eat and eventually he took off. It was great. I could get him to eat just about anything except burger. To this day he hates any type of burger. He will just gag. So I don't push it.

But now he won't eat alot of food.

mashed potatoes...fried potatoes...hashbrowns...no potatoes
veggies....green beans...I have to fight with him and corn....goodness what a chore
soup and grill cheese....nope not happening
stew....not even a bite
I could go on and on....then I would have to cry again...

What does Jonathon eat.

Well he will eat pancakes.....waffles....cold cereal

pasta....spaghetti....ziti parmesan...macaroni n butter

hot dog... mac n cheese

bologna...cheese....goldfish - not a cracker

mini pop tarts

fruit snacks

ice cream

applesauce....chocolate pudding......pie

And he has won lately because I just don't want to deal with it so we eat and then he eats what is on his small list of items that he won't throw at me.

I need to get out of this funk and figure out how to get him eating good again. I know he can because he was.

Alot to think about

2011-11-26T20:59:00.001-05:00

Jonathon has been taking swim lessons every Monday evening since August 2011. He has only missed a few Mondays because of him being sick once and then Andrew was sick and then teacher cancelled a couple of times for different reasons.

Now 2 weeks ago when he went swimming, he didn't have a nap that day. I was worried he would be grumpy and I was correct. He pulled the teachers glasses off and tried to throw them. He decided to pull his ear plugs out of his ears.....figuring "I'll teach her, I will pull these out and then I can't swim" He is very smart, but that didn't work, we just dried them and continued on. He really enjoys swimming and Miss Maggie is great with him.

Now when we go at 5p.m. he is usually in the water by 5:10p.m. and he swims until about 5:45p.m. The last time when he was getting out he was screaming, more than usual.....he always cries when he is done, because he doesn't want to be done, but this was different. So at first I thought that he got water in his ears...but he didn't and then when I took him into locker room his back was really really red........

I dressed him and took him home. The redness went away so I figured it was just chlorine, but it was ok.

Last week we didn't go, because Andrew was sick. On Tuesday I noticed a rash on Jonathon. On Wednesday it was all over his back and part of his front. I called the dr. They told me to give Benedryl and call back on friday if not better. In the meantime I thought allergic reaction and what did I do different. I bought a bounce dryer bar. I bought Winnie the Pooh lotion. Ok, lets throw the bounce bar out and rewash all the laundry. And stop using lotion. And give Benedryl.

On friday, a little better, but not better. Took him into doctors. As doctor was walking into the room to look at him it hit me.....and I said "Jonathon swims every Monday, I think this is rash from chlorine." Doc says "yes it is" to much chlorine. (DANG IT).

He told me to make sure I wash him with soap and water when he gets out of pool. And not too swim as long, but that he can still swim. Put Eucerin on him. Good to go.

So here is the deal. Do I let Jonathon continue to swim? He still has the rash....it looks alot better after I got the lotion on him, but do I want to put him through that anymore? Is he going to cooperate with me to hurry and get in shower and was off? This I already know is NOT going to happen. He is going to scream his little head off. Do I just cancel the rest of winter and hope summer will be better?
I hate that I have to make this decision....my son loves to swim..he loves the water and we were hoping that by spring he would be a full swimmer. i am pissed. I just want him to be able to spend time in the water. We could go back to the Ymca, but he was too cold last winter and we quit and Miss Maggie is no longer there. She is back at new swim place which is where the problem is.

I believe that I am burning him by letting him swim. I noticed it the last time he got out of the water.(red back and crying). I believe I already have my answer by just writing down my thoughts.

Is there anyone else that has had this problem? Any input would be great.

Deep down.....I think swimming is done for now......Jonathon may be sad.....but he won't hurt......

Thanks for listening.

Saturday Fun

2011-11-12T21:27:00.001-05:00

Jonathon is so funny lately! He loves to play with Kenny. When it was still warm enough to go outside he would wait for Kenny to get home and hurry and ask if he would go out and play "guys" and get the toy guns.

They would go out back and run around pretending to be people and zombies.......Doesn't every little boy run around and play zombies......well maybe it used to be cowboys and indians, but now its zombies! It's so calming to watch.

Now it's cold and we are inside alot lately. So tonight as I was folding laundry I look over and Jonathon is taking his tools and sliding them under Kenny's back....and quietly telling him "shhhh" and then grabbing Kenny's nose and then you hear Kenny say "please .....no more"....and then they both laugh! So as I am watching I ask Jonathon "Are you a doctor?" and he says "yes" I then say are you a mad scientist?.....He stops....he thinks...and then says "YES" and then continues to torture Kenny. So I then ask Kenny what he has been watching or showing his little brother that he wants to be a mad scientist and torture him. Kenny of course responds......"I didn't do anything mom"

Well my little boy is very smart! And I am guessing its from watching Kenny play a zombie game on PS3. No I am not worried. He does not act out to other people. It is some sort of bond that him and Kenny share. If they are happy playing zombies.....then play zombies! How many 14yr. old brothers would still want to play with their 4yr. old brother. I too have a brother who is 10 years younger than me and you know what....we have an incredible bond....I wouldn't change anything! And I hope Kenny remains this close with Jonathon forever!!!!!

An end to our simple, but fun Saturday!!!!!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-09T20:50:00.000-05:00

Research Time

2011-11-08T21:22:00.001-05:00

So now I have got to do some research. The teachers are finally going to use p e c cards. I started using those over 2 years ago and just took them down.

I think/thought we were done with those.

I think I can get an app for the Ipad to help Jonathon instead of investing in more p e c cards.

Research research research.........

Discouraged

2011-11-07T21:42:00.000-05:00

I have not been blogging the last few days because I can't figure out how to add a widget and then the link posting isn't working for me either so I am a little discouraged.

Jonathon is doing well. He is working very very hard on self feeding. Cereal is going great in the morning and I would show the video but its on my phone and I can't figure out how to post that either so I guess when I find time to actually sit down and relax I will figure all this mess out. Along with self feeding he has decided that he only likes a few items now. He used to be a really good eater and now he is being very picky.

Chicken, stuffing, rice, green beans, corn.......likes, but not lately!
Spaghetti......likes and still likes! He is my Italian guru! When he refuses to eat anything I will give him cereal, waffle, pancake, but after a few days of that I can't take it so then I make something pasta and he eats......

I hope this is short term. I do not want him to refuse to eat dinner. It makes me sad.

wordless Wednesday

2011-11-02T09:40:00.003-04:00

Fall Clean up

2011-11-01T13:33:00.004-04:00

We spent some time outside last weekend putting away all the toys. We had to put all Jonathon's sand toys, playscape, trucks, wagon, and bikes away for winter. Basket ball hoops too.

We raked leaves, mowed the grass one more time and played.

Now we are ready for winter. I am really excited about Christmas this year. I think it's going to be great. Jonathon is older and I think he is going to be alot of fun. I am hoping that he likes the snow this year. So far he has not.

Time will tell.

Happy Holloween

2011-10-31T22:28:00.000-04:00

There goes our friendly neighborhood Spidey......

Spiderman aka Jonathon......

Brothers.......

And he is off to save the world......

cool pumpkin spotted......

School bus.....

Jonathon's pumpkins.....

Jonathon's pumpkin.....

A boy and his pumpkin.....

Happy boy and his loot!

A Very Good Year Trick or Treating!

Working hard!

2011-10-30T21:24:00.000-04:00

I had Jonathon 's IEP about 2 weeks ago. We discussed some things that will need to be accomplished for him to be able to go to Kindergarten next fall. We discussed how if I or them do not feel he is ready I have other options.

Over all Jonathon is doing well, but we still have things to work on.

The first important goal for me for him is back to potty training.....Jonathon has been toilet trained for some time now... Even though that is so there is still some areas that need to be tweaked a little. For instance: I used to have to check with him every 3 hours to make sure if he had to go or not. As of this past summer I no longer have to do that. He is fully potty trained. But no I guess he is not "fully" yet. Because I go with him....I help pull his pants down....I help him hop up if he needs to sit down....I help him down when he is finished....I help pull up his pants..well no one is going to do that in kindergarten.

So we went out to Kohls this morning and hit up a good deal and got 6 pairs of pull on pants/sweats. No more jeans for now. He had 2 pair of sweats that we have started working on him doing this on his own. He doesn't do too bad. He gets mad sometimes and wants mommy to just do it. But overall he is doing great. He just has a hard time pulling up the back of his pants. I am sure he will figure it out before next fall.

I also had a new stool made again....actually this one is a platform for him. It's about 2 inches off the floor and its square so its safe. He is too tall for the plastic stool now, but not tall enough for nothing. So we started out with daddy making one....which was nice....it just wasn't what I was talking about and it wasn't really safe....it kept sliding and it just wasn't big enough....sooooo.....Mr. Randy stopped by and we told him what we needed and.......when we got home today....we found a surprise! He made Jonathon a platform....just right and Jonathon said "cool" But then daddy got his feelings hurt and was going to take his outside and Jonathon stood up and said "NOOOOO" He grabbed it and placed it on the carpet and started playing with his hot wheels on it. A happy daddy then and a happy Jonathon. It all worked out!!!

I will post pictures tomorrow of the new stuff!

Dental Appointment

2011-10-28T21:52:00.002-04:00

Today we went and seen Dr. Dentist!

Last year when I took Jonathon to meet a pediatric dentist in the same office where my older boys go it was a complete disaster. She did not take her time with Jonathon and he ended up screaming so bad that he had broken blood vessels in his face. And I knew we did not want her. And she said" I can't help you" Really.......

We found a great dentist about 1 hour from our home. We went and met with him and he set up a procedure at Childrens Hospital of Michigan to get xrays, teeth cleaning and anything else that needed to be done.

Jonathon went in April and had his xrays, teeth cleaned and a space added in between his two front teeth. He had cavities in there because his teeth were too close together. It was out patient and when he was finished we took him home.

When we went for our follow up visit Dr. Dentist gave me some ideas on what to do to get Jonathon to brush.

Over the past 6 months I have made sure that Jonathon has brushed his teeth in the morning and at night. There have been times when I have said "Why bother" He just doesn't like it and he is probably going to have a ton of cavities and have to be put under again!! Plus it's very frustrating that I have to do this on my own. (sorry to say, but hubby is not much help) But then I say to myself that would not be fair to Jonathon so we brush anyway. Some days are good and some days are bad. The good days are around more and more.

I was worried about our appointment today. I have been telling Jonathon for 1 week now, getting him ready. Hoping that he understood. I was very very nervous on the way there today. I couldn't even drink my coffee. Then we were late, because I made a wrong turn.....OOPS.

We signed in at 8:33a.m. We had a few minutes to wait so I got out Jonathon's IPAD. He sat quietly and put some puzzles together on his Ipad. Other kids looked from a distance. I thought it was pretty cool. Then we were called. Okay here we go......Put the Ipad away and followed the nurse back.....got a few feet and then Jonathon noticed everyone in dr. gear and stopped.....and said "NO" and turned around to leave.

I grabbed his hand and told him it was okay. That they were not doctors, that they were dentist helpers. And the nurse helped confirm that with him. I practically had to drag him back to the room and then he seen the "chair" Oh my!! He didn't want any part of that.

As I was putting him in the chair and getting out blue puppy.....Dr. Dentist was explaining what he was going to do and the staff was getting ready and as I am getting out blankie, headphones, they are starting and Jonathon begins to cry and scream......I quickly tell him "ok, let me get your music" I grab my cell phone and quickly scroll through to find Elmo Lets go Tubbin.....This calms Jonathon down some where he at least is not screaming. One Dr. Dentist.....3 staff members and mommy .....I just kept talking to Jonathon and telling him how proud I was and that he was doing great and that he had blue puppy and that he was almost done. And before we knew it......we were done.

I spoke with Dr. Dentist quickly. He told me that he was so proud of me..."me".....I even said "me"? He reminded me how I came to him upset and looking for help. And that he told me what I needed to do and I did it. And that Jonathon would not be getting a good clean teeth report if I had not listened. WOW was all I could think! And it made me proud. Jonathon has no cavities! He was put into a drawing to win a $25.00 gift card. And we will go back in 6 months. And hopefully in 6 months it will be a little better for him. We signed in at 8:33a.m. and we were back in the van at 9:03a.m.

So I took him to Walmart to pick out a new toy for being such a big boy and letting Dr. Dentist clean his teeth. He picked 2 monster trucks....He is big into Monster Jam right now. He now has Hot wheels and Grave Digger!!

I am so proud of Jonathon. I know how much certain things scare him. Like the noise of the dental tool to clean his teeth. To sit there and let the dentist clean his teeth and not wear his headphones. Phenomenal! Amazing! I will always do my best to make sure he is happy, safe, and protected!

I love you Jonathon Joseph! Rest well, you did great today!!!!!!

wordless Wednesday

2011-10-26T20:45:00.000-04:00

Challenges & Celebrations 2011 Conference

2011-10-14T12:16:00.000-04:00

I went to this conference yesterday. The conference was sponsored by St. Clair County Community Mental Health, St. Clair County Regional Educational Service Agency and St. Clair County Down Syndrome Support Group.

I went to "What your other Children without Disabilities are Thinking: Sibling Issues for Parents"
Keynote Speaker Brian Skotko. I thought Brian was a very good speaker and I really enjoyed listening to him. I was not able to stay until the very end to get my book signed, but I did purchase his book and cannot wait to read it. Check it out and get yourself a copy. If you ever hear his name go listen to him. He is great!

I also attended Ipad = Ican Keynote Speaker Ann Orr. I enjoyed listening to Ann also. But she was just an Ipod/Ipad geek. She was not from Apple Company and I already learned about a whole bunch of apps, so I was not really impressed with her. I went to listen to her thinking I would learn about the Ipad2 and how to use it and how to use the apps when you download them. So I really could have skipped her. Oh well.

Oh and I went and listened to an O.T. Her name was Kim Perrin. "Addressing Challenging Behaviors Through Sensory Strategies" Now her I could have sat and listened to for a long time. She was very informational. I don't really have a lot of problems with Jonathon. I was curious what it was all about and glad I went. I learned that water is a good thing. I learned that if you have a child that is really out of control.....ex: head banger ...to the point of dangerous..you could just give him/her some water to play with(like in a bucket in the middle of the kitchen floor) not worrying about the mess. And it relaxes the child. Water is calming. I am so glad that I have Jonathon in swimming. and of course he loves the shower and our pool and mud puddles etc.

Jonathon picks at his thumbs and peels the skin off to the point where it bleeds and I have to put a bandaid on(which he hates). so she gave me some ideas to try out on him. and to keep track of when it happens. So I will. She actually ran out of time talking to our group.

My sister and I then ate lunch and had to head for home.

During the conference I met up with the president of St. Clair County Down Syndrome Support Group...which is the group we belong too. And she had a gift for me......well for Jonathon!

I had submitted a scholarship letter to her at the beginning of October asking for Jonathon to be a recipient of an Ipad2. I explained about my research and why I felt that it would benefit him! I am so happy that he was given this device! It is going to help him so much with his learning!

So I loaded it up last night and showed him really quick! Lets just say he loves it. He was upset when he had to put it away to go to bed and he calls it his pad.....games mom!

I would have never known the world of opportunity for my son with an Ipad2 if it wasn't for me finding a4cwsn.com and reading and researching. I joined a4cwsn.com on facebook. It is a wonderful community and a person can learn so much. I already have 123 apps on Jonathon's Ipad2. I have only paid $17.00 total. Most of them were free and some of them I won. Through a4cwsn.com. I am so glad that I found Gary James..... Please go and check it out....You will not be disappointed!

I uploaded a video of him seeing his Ipad2 for the first time. Learning video upload is confusing. sorry. it posted all on its own. Hope you enjoy. That was his very first look at an Ipad2. He thought the character Mongo was really funny. You are supposed to eat the fruit not the junk food. He was being silly last night and actually doing both, because Mongo will turn blue from a tummy ache. But he knew how to operate it after a few seconds and with time he will be really good at this device.

Jonathon's Ipad2

2011-10-14T12:10:00.001-04:00

Jonathon's Ipad2 a video by cmp1969 on Flickr.

Here is Jonathon seeing the Ipad2 for the very first time and he is playing Mongo.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-12T19:51:00.000-04:00

Swimming cancelled

2011-10-11T20:04:00.000-04:00

because someone used the pool as a toilet......I know TMI, but it is what it is......

So we came home and raked leaves into a big pile. It was beautiful outside for October. Around 80 degrees. Ok, maybe little much. Jonathon was sweating so bad that we eventually gave up and came in. But he did enjoy himself.

I can remember a little boy who wouldn't go near the leaves let alone touch them and PLAY in them. Now I have a brave big boy who love loves the leaves!!! Hooray!!!!

I am really liking fall this year!

Imagination

2011-10-10T20:45:00.000-04:00

Imagination........is wonderful!

31 for 21

2011-10-09T21:11:00.002-04:00

I am having a hard time blogging everyday for down syndrome awareness. I think it is because we are not having our buddy walk this year and I am very irritated about that.

I belong to St. Clair County Down Syndrome Support Group. We are putting on a conference this year. It will be this week.

I firmly believe that we should have still walked! I firmly believe it could have been done along with the conference.

I will try to be better!

Growing Every Day

2011-10-05T08:54:00.000-04:00

Jonathon wears AFO braces. During the summer months he does not wear his Shoes with braces very often. It's just too hot. So he wears sandals, which Cameron says is fine.

When school started this year Jonathon complained of his foot hurting and he actually limped around all weekend. Got me to thinking, hmmm maybe something is wrong with the braces.

I kept an eye on him and at first just figured he had to get back into the routine of wearing them every day.....all day.....

Then we finally found some new socks....lets just say the new socks did not fit with the braces. His foot was hanging over....and I couldn't get his shoe on.

We finally got in to see Mr. Cameron yesterday afternoon. He confirmed......Yep he grew. So he extended his brace out a little for him and fixed some hot spots on the ankles.

Good deal....except.....now his shoes do not fit.

I have to order his shoes online and cannot buy just any brand. Jonathon has flat feet and wide feet. He takes an EW. I cannot find a store that carries EW. So I search on line for the best deal. I buy alot from shoebuy.com. I usually buy him Stride Rite.

So I had to send him to school today without braces. I told the teacher to just keep an eye on him because I really don't know how he is going to react to no braces. In the meantime I have to get online this morning and order some shoes for him.

Yep he is growing!!!!

Please go vote! It's for a great cause!

http://sunsuperdreams.com.au/dream/view/ipads-for-special-kids

31 for 21

2011-10-04T09:53:00.000-04:00

Hi everybody! I have been very busy over the past few days and didn't really get a chance to blog. Oops. Didn't start out Down syndrome awareness very good. I am now ready to blog the rest of the days.....hopefully!

I found this great community! I found lots of information!

There is a super dream going on!

Please go vote!

http://sunsuperdreams.com.au/dream/view/ipads-for-special-kids

Don't Miss Out Friends

2011-10-01T06:42:00.001-04:00

My apologies that I did not get this post done before now. I really did not know how to go about it and I still don't, but I don't want anyone to miss out.

There is a huge App Party going on this weekend. It started yesterday and will go until Sunday evening. There already have been brand new Ipods given away. You can try to win an Ipad2. And most of all lots of apps for your Iphone, Ipod and Ipad on sale.

I ran across this website about 1 week ago and it woke me up to alot of possibilities for Jonathon. Any way it's very exciting.

http://www.a4cwsn.com/3rd-app-party-invitation/

And for those of you that don't think you qualify for such a thing. You can still get in on the fun and purchase some apps for future use. I do not own an Ipod, Iphone or Ipad, but after getting involved in all of this excitement I will find one way or another to get one for Jonathon. I really really would love for him to have an Ipad.

You can just get your free apps - which there is lots and other purchased apps and it just stays in Itunes until you are ready.

I have never did anything like this so I don't know how or if I can upload anything. Guess I need to learn all of that. lol.

Oh and most of all......You get to make some more friends! Who wouldn't want that.

Good luck friends!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-28T08:41:00.000-04:00

Happy 125 years Childrens of Michigan

2011-09-24T22:06:00.000-04:00

Today we packed up and headed down to Jonathon's Hospital....well Children's Hospital of Michigan, but Jonathon's Hospital. The hospital was having a birthday party to celebrate 125 yrs. We signed a piece of paper and they are going to take the paper and make an origami butterfly. Jonathon left a special message and I also left a message. I can't wait to see the butterfly when it's all done.

We ate some ice cream, and then had some cake. Jonathon really did not like his sponge bob ice cream stick, but he loved the birthday cake...especially the frosting!

He had fun running around and meeting the clowns, but would not get his face painted. Oh well, he at least sat and talked to papa clown.

We also got to meet Jake and Ellie....at first Jonathon was afraid of them because they do not speak, but it wasn't long and he was best friends with them. Thank you Jake and Ellie for making my son happy!

Talking to Jake and Ellie

Movie Day

2011-09-22T14:29:00.001-04:00

We had a movie store open back up in our neighboring town about 1 month ago. It is called Family Video. For the first month you recieve 1/2 off of everything so we have been visiting once per week. We are able to rent 5 movies for about 3.50. Pretty cool if you ask me.

This has become a weekly ritual for Jonathon and I. Sometimes we take the big brothers along, but mostly its just us. This has been a good time for some practice. Jonathon has been practicing listening to mom and walking up and down the aisles with mom. He has been learning not to touch all the movies and take them off of the shelf. He has been learning that he may take a movie if he wants to rent it.

This video store has alot of older kid movies that you are able to rent for free. It is so overwhelming to see so many movies. But every week he is doing better and better.

When we first started there was a lot of yelling(on Jonathon's part) and tugging(holding hands) and running(Jonathon running away from me). I stuck it out though even when we made a few scenes. And it was well worth it because today we went after school and we had a very nice time looking at all the movies and deciding which ones to rent.

We rented Berenstein Bears, Franklin goes to school and Dumbo. And Lynx. not sure what that is, but it looks like it might be interesting. Mommy got some movies for the big kids too.

Jonathon tried to escape one time, but I just explained that we would leave the store with nothing and he came back to me. And then when we were leaving he told the lady good bye and thank you! I am soo sooo proud of him. And I made sure I told him just how proud I was and how polite that was to say Thank you and good bye.

I can honestly say that I have not touched the stroller since........ummm......since.....August. Wow .....since August? That's wonderful!

So we already watched Dumbo, which Jonathon really liked and now we are watching the Berenstein Bears. He seems to like this movie too.

wordless Wednesday

2011-09-21T19:27:00.001-04:00

Update

2011-09-20T19:25:00.000-04:00

School is going great for Jonathon. He is really enjoying school this year. He wears his back pack out to the van in the morning and into school. He has been walking from van into school.....last year I carried him ALOT. He is happy to hug and kiss me good bye every day.

My little boy is growing up. I am glad that he likes to go to school. That is really important to me.

I picked up a leap frog dvd about learning the ABC's. He watches it everyday...almost every day if we have time and he is doing great learning his ABC's. He already knows most of them. So now I am on a search for sight words - on 3 DVD's...just need to find the best deal.

We have been working on walking for everything. I don't really use the stroller for anything anymore unless I am somewhere where I know its too much for him to walk or I need to contain him (LOL).

We have closed our pool for winter, but we have not had much time to play outside lately. He has been tired and happy to stay in after school, and we have had lots of rain days.

We went to Detroit to see Dr. Cardiologist. Good report. Jonathon did not like the EKG this year. He really screamed his head off. so bad that he had broken blood vessels all over his head and face.....I felt so sorry for him. So we came home with those nasty little stickies to help prepare him for next year.

We have our appointments made for eye exam and dental cleaning. Coming up in October.

Oh and there will not be a buddy walk this year for St. Clair County!!!! Very very disappointing.(another post .....another day)

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-07T08:14:00.001-04:00

Summer vacation winding down

2011-09-03T22:15:00.000-04:00

I have been trying to stay home and relax with the boys this past week since it is their last week of summer vacation, but we also did some fun stuff too.

Jonathon had his last summer playdate with Rylee and her big brother Logan. We all met up at the local water park in Goodells and had a blast. This was Jonathon's first time doing the water without me holding his hand. Just shows me how much he has grown over the summer and how much he is becoming a "big" boy. My baby is growing up.....times it is sad, because Jonathon is my last baby, but then its overwhelming too, because he is reaching his milestones and I am so so happy and amazed at my strong little boy.

running through the water

Jonathon hanging out with Logan

On Friday afternoon we packed the boys up and headed uptown for some icecream and a little fun at the local park. We were supposed to go with Rylee , Logan and Nik, but we missed each other. We will catch up next time. So Gilbert and I took the boys anyways.

enjoying our snack

After our ice cream we went and played on the merry go round. I am having a problem posting anymore pictures so I will save them for another day.

We played at the park for awhile and then returned home.

And then today(Saturday) we packed everyone up at 9:15a.m. and headed out to catch the morning show - cars 2. Jonathon really liked it. He was so funny to watch his expressions during the movie. It got a little loud at times, but he had his headphones and used them. Cars is Jonathon's second time at the movie theater. It is very fun taking him and I am glad he is finally able to go. Can't wait for the next movie.

After the show we came home, grabbed our suits and jumped into our pool for awhile. Jonathon is doing very well swimming around on his own - with his life jacket on. I can't wait to continue his swim lessons with Miss Maggie, once school starts back up.

Sit and Wonder

2011-08-26T08:55:00.000-04:00

Here it is Friday morning and Jonathon and I are the only ones up .....as usual......

And I just sit here drinking my coffee and wonder......

I wonder what this year will bring......at school......

I wonder if I did enough this summer with Jonathon........

I wonder did I not do enough this summer with Jonathon......

I wonder .......will the teachers be happy.....

I wonder......will Jonathon behave in school.......

I wonder.....will we ever get over our hump of not wanting to self feed......
(he is doing much much better than last year, but we still have some issues where he is not 100% eating on his own)

I wonder.....will Jonathon do okay with restroom breaks this year.......
(teachers are changing....we were told at end of year.....losing Miss Olley....and she was the helper teacher that helped the children with restroom breaks)

I wonder......do we still have Mrs. Rhodes.....she is Jonathon's teacher and I hope that they did not move her in the school system....

I wonder.......I wonder.......I wonder.......

will my preschooler and my freshman enjoy school this year........

will my junior be okay with his first year at "Tech"...........

One thing I do not need to wonder about......
is how proud I am of all three of my boys!!!!!
I am so so proud of all them!

Here's to a great school year boys......take your time......please don't get frustrated.....and most of all stay focused......

I love you all very very much!!!!

ENT appointment

2011-08-24T19:11:00.000-04:00

This morning we headed out early to go see Dr. Ears.

We arrived 20 minutes ahead of schedule and got lucky and we were able to go right back and see the Dr. He asked Jonathon how he was doing and if I had any concerns. Nope, no concerns about his ears.

Then Dr. Ears looked into Jonathon's ears and found both tubes. Yep, they are still there. Asked to look into his throat. No, this is not happening. When we go see Dr. Pediatrician in the winter he always asks that questions and of course does it AND Jonathon does not like it. So Dr. Ears passed.

Good report. Nice visit. See you in 6 months. We were finished and back outside within 20 minutes.

I did pick up a swim band though. Jonathon is going to continue to swim all winter with his lessons and I have been having a problem with the swim plugs popping out once in awhile. I purchased the swim band thinking this will be really cool. Ummm when I got Jonathon home and tried to show Kenny, he would not even put it on. I know it's because it's new and he doesn't understand that its not going to hurt him. Hopefully when we go see Miss Maggie for his next lesson he will cooperate and wear it for me. Fingers crossed.

I am so glad that I found Dr. Ears. I am so glad and thankful that Jonathon is doing so well with his tubes and his speech.

wordless Wednesday

2011-08-17T14:25:00.000-04:00

wordless Wednesday

2011-08-10T21:21:00.000-04:00

Missing Family

2011-08-02T15:02:00.000-04:00

grandma Martindale, Jonathon, me, Kenny, Gil and Andrew in the back.

Doesn't seem like it has been over 1 week since my mom came to visit from Florida. This was Jonathon's second time meeting her and this time he remembers grandma and has asked me where she is.
Now I have to figure out how to teach him that we live in Michigan and grandma Martindale lives in Florida.....which is very far away and we just cannot go visit.....

We had a busy weekend....On Saturday we went bowling...Jonathon had lots of fun.
On Sunday we had a birthday party to go too.. and once again Jonathon had a riot.

update

2011-07-29T08:20:00.000-04:00

Wow! It's been a while. We have been having so much fun this summer and have been so busy that I just have not found the time to sit down and continue this blog.

Things will be slowing down a bit now that we are headed into August. I can't believe it's almost August and then it will be time for school to start. Summer is flying by, but we are making the best of it.

Jonathon has been a lot of fun this summer. He really is a big boy now and has been able to do lots and has been practicing his listening skills and patience all summer. Something that is so hard for a young boy to do.

We celebrated Jonathon's 4th birthday....had a surprise visit from Grandma Martindale(my mom) she lives in Florida...went to the beach....went to the local 4H fair....have been swimming practically every day....visited Aunt Sandra and her horses and cats....went to the local water splash pad and just playing in our own backyard. I will try to post some pictures of all the fun soon.

We do have a busy weekend still.....Best friend Rylee - her big brother Logan is celebrating his 9th birthday on Sunday and on Saturday we have a bowling fundraiser for him for football. Not sure how Jonathon will do going bowling at 7p.m. (bedtime is usually 8p.m.) but we will try it out .....it's for a good cause.

Oh and we had a surprise family of turkeys stop by for a few days....that ended up being a pain so we found them a good home.....away from us.

And took our dog Scruffy to the vet to get groomed. Busy busy busy!!!!

Hope everyone else is enjoying their summer.

went to book store and picked out 2 new books too!

wordless Wednesday

2011-07-13T19:58:00.000-04:00

First bus ride! (lost picture on sd card and it just reappeared)

4 days

2011-07-12T20:21:00.000-04:00

until Birthday day!

My wonderful, bright, intelligent, sweet, kind, gentle son is going to be turning 4!

God is Good!

Trust me when I say: "I would not change 1 thing about Jonathon" He is perfect.......

We are getting ready for a P A R T Y !

Birthday Week!

2011-07-11T17:04:00.000-04:00

6 days until Jonathon turns 4! I can't believe this. He is such a big boy now.

Today we took him to Toys R Us to get his birthday balloon and crown. We also browsed through many aisles in the dark(store had no power) to see all the great toys! He picked out many things for his brothers to get him.

Mom got some ideas too.

Now we are back home. Taking a break from outside today. Taking a break from swimming. It's been muggy and rainy off and on so we decided to play inside and watch movies.

Guess we will make a simple dinner too and just relax!!

A great day!

Oh and we went and got new swim plugs made this afternoon. The ones we had made last week were not correct and they were getting wet. Tomorrow we will be ready to swim once more.

Enjoying our summer

2011-07-09T14:45:00.000-04:00

is why I have not been current on my blog. I have been spending every minute outside with Jonathon. We only come inside to fix something to eat....clean up....and occasional movie and of course shower and bed.

He is really enjoying the outdoors this year! And our summer vacation is flying by.

A few weeks back I had mentioned that we had a surprise for Jonathon.

Here it is!

He is loving his pool! And we are loving the fact that we were able to do this for all 3 boys!

Day out with one big brother

2011-06-22T21:02:00.000-04:00

Gilbert was unable to attend, but Jonathon and I went to Kenny's graduation at school last week.

We were invited to attend breakfast along with a short ceremony and diplomas were handed out.

I can't believe that Kenny is now officially a Freshman. All three of my boys are growing up fast. I kind of lose track of time with the older two. I really focus alot of my time on Jonathon...making sure he is learning all he can learn.....making sure he stays healthy....making sure he is content and happy...making sure he remains safe....and then I sit back and watch.....

I watch my 2 older boys.....I see how they are growing up to be wonderful young men. I am so proud of all my boys.

I love you Kenny! you had a great year finishing up junior high....your grades were awesome! your art projects blew me away.....you are very talented....Never give up Kenny and always keep dreaming.

Congratulations! You are a Freshman! Good luck son.

Thanks for being a great big brother to Jonathon!

morning of graduation

smile Kenny!

brotherly love

Kenny, me and Jonathon(trying to escape)

Grandpa and grandsons

2011-06-21T21:44:00.000-04:00

Happy Fathers Day

2011-06-19T11:15:00.000-04:00

The boys surprised their father and got him a new cell phone for Fathers Day! He has been waiting many many years to get a brand new phone again and especially an android. We got him the Sprint HTC Evo.

And he was very happy!

Say what? A NEW PHONE!?

WOW! It is.....

Fun in the Sun

2011-06-18T22:43:00.000-04:00

This is how we spent our Saturday today.......

who needs a pool!

Always great when big brother joins in....

Quick visit to ENT

2011-06-16T21:48:00.000-04:00

This morning I was going to see if Jonathon's swim ear plugs still fit from last year. When I went to put the right one in I noticed that his ear had all this dry crusty stuff on it......

I called his ENT and they said that they needed to see him even though his ENT was not in.

So we packed up after lunch and headed to the city (1 hour ). We seen a nice Dr. but I still don't like seeing other dr.s. He couldn't find anything wrong with Jonathons ear. Told me to watch him and if its draining put ear drops in(fill prescription)....if its not draining don't do anything.....Hmmmm.....if its not draining then why is it all nasty looking.?

So we stopped off at Best Buy to see the geek squad with a few questions on the MAC....Jonathon brought me a movie from school that was made on windows media player and I needed to know how to convert to play on the MAC. Geek squad was very helpful and then we headed for home.

Stopped off at a vegetable stand and bought 2 patio tomatoe plants for Jonathon to plant in my big red basket by deck. Then we hurried home because Kenny had dinner cooking in the oven...Lasagna.

After dinner we sat down as a family and watched Jonathon's movie from school. It was so cute. It was a power point presentation/movie of his class all year.

Then we cleaned up Jonathons ear and got some ice cream for dessert.. Hopefully he will wake up tomorrow and his ear will be clear and clean. Otherwise......I think I will being calling ENT back or going to see his pediatrician at least.

Good day....Busy day....and hopefully tomorrow we will finally get some much needed grocery shopping done.

Another School Year Down

2011-06-13T21:36:00.001-04:00

June 13, 2011

Jonathon has accomplished a lot this year. I am so proud of him. Trust me he has his moments.......like any growing toddler.....that a parent says "Is he ever going to get it"? Sometimes I get very frustrated with him. I just want him to be the best that he can be....just like his older brothers.....and in time he does indeed "get it" And it's the best feeling in the world......

He has grown up so much this year! My little baby is now a little boy.....Time flies.......

I am so lucky to have some great teachers teaching him at school.

Thank you! Thank you for what you do.

this was last day of school 2010

last day of school 2011

Summer is here!

2011-06-10T21:28:00.000-04:00

And we are enjoying every second of it outdoors!

Until the last 2 days. The last 2 days it has been pretty chilly around here again. But that just gives me time to clean up inside and catch up on laundry, watch some movies and just relax.

hanging out

little clean up

time to draw!

quick swim to cool off

More to come on our fun filled summer! Stick around and see what we did for Jonathon!!

Best Friends

2011-06-03T22:24:00.000-04:00

no explanation needed!

Quiet Tuesday

2011-05-31T20:21:00.000-04:00

Everybody went back to school today.

Jonathon had a busy day with O.T. and P.T. Tuesdays are very tiring. He came home ate lunch and took a nap. After nap we went and picked up his big brothers from school.

Around 4p.m. we went outside to play for awhile. Swinging on the swingset. It was still very hot out so we decided to water all my flowers and Jonathon spent his time running through the hose. He had lots of fun.

Then we came in and made pizza for dinner.

It is now 8:21p.m. and he is out cold.

Outside

2011-05-30T21:53:00.000-04:00

Love the outside.....love the hot weather.....love the sun shining......

AND......

Jonathon loves to run through the mud and water......

All I could do was stand back and laugh....it took so long for us to see Jonathon run...and this year he is really running!! And he loves to run too.

quick break to play ball

snack with daddy

time to wash the mud off!

Just stayed home

2011-05-29T20:59:00.000-04:00

We do not have any particular plans for this weekend. Jonathon has come down with a cold too, so we decided to just work around the house.

Today Gilbert finished putting the sides on our deck. A project that we started last summer, but ran out of funds. I am glad that its finished and now I don't have to worry about Jonathon falling off of the sides.

Took Jonathon out to play after his nap. It was extremely wet and muddy so I let him play on the deck instead.

All in all a great relaxing warm day!

Detroit Zoo Cancelled.....

2011-05-27T21:14:00.000-04:00

Our day started out with a temp of 47 and rain. I decided it was not a good idea to head off to the zoo with the class.

Instead we went to the movies. This was Jonathon's first time ever in a movie theater. He did great. I am glad that I took his headphones along. He used them in the beginning of the movie because it was loud and I think it scared him a little. Then he took them off and did not use them until the very end when the music got loud again.

He got sucked right up into the chair like a pretzel. I had to keep my leg on it. He did sit on my lap through most of the movie.

Afterwards we went to eat lunch and then rode the horse carousel at the mall. Then we went off to Target quickly to get daddy some new socks and then hurried home to pick Andrew up from school.

It rained the entire day....like a drizzle, but cold, damp, and just YUCK. I am very glad I did not go to the zoo.

We had a great day!

Just hanging

2011-05-26T20:17:00.000-04:00

Just a quick hi!

Tomorrow is zoo day. It is raining and 47 degrees right now. not very nice for the zoo. I am really hoping that it warms up tomorrow.

Please .....someone turn the sun back on. Thanks.

Quick picture of Jonathon being silly.

Finally back

2011-05-25T19:56:00.000-04:00

I finally gave up on trying to make my old dinosaur of a computer work. I tried everything. Even dumping the hard drive back to the day in 2001 when it was purchased from a family member. And it still was giving me problems.

So we went out shopping and came home with a Macbook Pro. So while I will have to learn a new system I am very happy with our purchase.

I am slowly putting my stuff back on that I need. And all my pictures are on my external hard drive and I haven't got to them yet.

Laptop is a lot different than a desk top. But I am liking it. I like the fact that I am able to move from room to room and get my other stuff done too. I think I am going to be extremely satisfied.

And this is my very first brand new computer!!!! Thank you husband!

So once again sorry to all my readers for not being around. I will try to be more efficient now.

I miss all of my friends that I follow. Cannot wait to catch up.

Not to worry

2011-05-17T19:49:00.000-04:00

we are still here....we just have not been good bloggers....or I should say I....

My computer is not cooperating most of the time. I had to uninstall and reinstall some virus protection and then removed 2 trojans.. I keep getting messages that I have no memory and then it kicks me right off of internet.... I have new internet service coming out on friday.. and I am still looking into getting a laptop.

My van has been in the garage alot lately too. Pretty much everything under the hood and the front end are new now.. But now I am mad and it's time for it to go. I want a new ride.. at least updated ride. Done with the minivan.

Jonathon is almost finished with school for the year. Tomorrow is our first field trip. We are heading out to Upland Farms in Oxford Mi. I am really hoping its a fun time seems how our temps have dropped back into the 40's at night and 50's during the day. It is calling for rain and high of 61 tomorrow.

And I must get everything packed and ready to go and make hubby's lunch still and I am exhausted so we will be back blogging regularly soon. (I hope)

Loving this weather

2011-05-09T21:44:00.001-04:00

Our temps were already in the high 60's by the time Jonathon got out of school.
We hurried home and made sandwiches..grabbed some cheez pons and chips with a drink and headed outside for a picnic on our deck. My friend Charlotte stopped by and joined in on the food and relaxation!

We were able to catch up while we watched Jonathon play. He is fun to just sit and watch....and he has come so far! I am so so proud.
Tomorrow is supposed to be another great day. I can't wait!

Happy Mothers Day

2011-05-08T19:52:00.000-04:00

I had a great day! Thank you boys! I love you!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-05-04T10:01:00.000-04:00

It's a good day

2011-04-30T17:05:00.000-04:00

Jonathon received a gift last year from our good friend Randy. It is Imaginext. And it is called Coastal Patrol Station. I was very excited to have Kenny help build it and see what Jonathon would do. But Jonathon just ripped everything apart. He didn't understand the concept so we put it away.

Last week Jonathon seen this toy up in the closet and asked to play with it. I told him we had to wait for Kenny to help him and then I forgot about it......Until today. So Kenny helped him build it and........

He is playing with it! He may be tipping it over at times, but he is picking it up and putting it back together with help and playing with the guys and putting them in the lighthouse and to bed to sleep!

I always know that when he discovers something new and cannot get it or is not interested that it will come in time! Well maybe I didn't always know. But I did always know that I would be patient and that I would never give up! My little boy is very smart and he proves it to me and the rest of the world daily!

I love you Jonathon!

We also went outside today for awhile. My baby is growing up. He is officially a big boy this year and when it's decent out.....out we go....the whole reason for the mud boots...so we don't really have any excuses to not let him out! Unless its freezing or raining or things like that! Today we had lots of fun!

I cannot believe that this little boy is turning 4 in less than 3 months........

Errand day

2011-04-28T19:55:00.001-04:00

We had a very busy day today.hwith gas prices up over 4.00 I try to get my errands done in one day if I can.
This morning I ran to local gas station....well not really local. My town has 2 gas stations..they both closed over 2yrs ago..I have to go 10 miles or so to get gas..anyway did that and picke up a few items at krogers and then headed home.
When I arrived home a very good/close friend of mine stopped by for coffee. We chatted for a few and then I had to "kick" her out..needed to take kenny to dr for a recheck..
Kenny has a sinus infection.
We went and picked jonathon up from school and I decided today would be our day to get some things done. We headed down to the city to see miss Barb to have her help me with his eye patch. On way to the city we stopped to use restroom and grabbed lunch.
Back on the road we finally got to our destination. We hurried in to see miss barb. She adjusted his glasses and cut his eye patch to fit better. And then she gave him 2 more colors. And we gave her the sticky patches back.
Tomorrow we will try the patch again. Hopefully he will do better.
After leaving Miss Barb I decided to map our next stop. I needed a part for my van and it was only 16 min further down the road so we headed out to find parts place.
And I am happy to say that my garage guy gave me excellent directions. Found it....no problem. So now I am waiting for a few parts to arrive from california and then some much needed work will begin. Had to text Andrew we would be late....ride bus home and we were off again.
I told jonathon to rest.....that we were headed home... and he was good and did just that. I turned on his favorite radio station(mp3 player dead) and he was out!
Got on road heading for home. Called Gil to get Kennys medicine on his way home because I was way across town and didn't want to go that way.. he said sure.
Got in van at 10:15am and finally got home at 3:45pm. Went 98 miles today and we are "pooped"....I really don't know how my brother does it.....drives semi all day! I hate driving all day!

Needless to say we were happy to be home!
Tomorrow we don't have to go until 2:45pm. I am thinking we might even make big brothers ride the bus to school! We will see!
Thank you for being a good boy today Jonathon...mommy loves you very much....

Eye Patch

2011-04-26T13:20:00.000-04:00

I will be taking Jonathon to the city soon to have a recheck on his eye patch. I quit fighting with him last week over it.

When he wears the sticky eye patch it leaves red marks and practically rips his skin off when I remove it and he cries.... When I use the cloth eye patch his glasses fall off..the patch covers part of his mouth....overall its a pain.

I need to take him in to see what they can do so that he is not looking over his lens when he wears the eye patch.

Happy Easter

2011-04-24T14:07:00.000-04:00

Short Field Trip

2011-04-22T16:14:00.000-04:00

Jonathon and I went a little field trip the other day. We went to the Fire Department.

While we were there I had Jonathon's car seat safety checked. I was pretty sure we had it in the vehicle correctly and had him in it correctly but I just wanted to make sure. Especially now that Andrew is driving us around sometimes for Drivers Training.

And yes the car seat was in the vehicle correctly. And Jonathon was belted in securely. I have my seat fastened with the latch hook system. But I could never figure out the latch hook for the back of the seat and the fireman helped me out with that. So now he is super secure.

I had a few questions answered about my other 2 trucks that are much older.

And then Jonathon got to get a couple of pictures with the fire truck.

Overdue Update

2011-04-20T10:51:00.000-04:00

Lots going on lately and most important my desktop is slowly dying off and that is one of the main reasons why I have not been keeping up on my blog lately. I started using my cell phone, but I really haven't taken the time lately. Sorry to all my readers.

Dental procedure went well for us. We arrived at the hospital at 6a.m. They had Jonathon ready to go back by 7:30a.m. Daddy went along with him until he fell asleep. I wish I could have been there for him, but I just can't do that. Thank you daddy. We were able to watch a board in the waiting room that showed us exactly what was going on from pre op to surgery to recovery. That was a nice addition that the hospital just added last year.

Jonathon was back in recovery around 8:35a.m. He had a little trouble with the anesthesia so they gave him a shot in his i.v. to feel better and we just need to let anyone know that he is allergic from now on and they will give him something before he wakes up and then he won't experience the nausea anymore. We were home by noon. He rested most of the day and I kept him home one extra day and let him go back to school on April 14th.

He had 4 fillings in between his front 4 teeth. Dr. Curt fixed his teeth so they know have little gaps in between where before they didn't and that is how the cavities came about. Had some xrays taken and then cleaned his teeth. And he is good to go. We go back in 6 months to see Dr. Curt.

Eye patch is not going well at all. I don't use the sticky ones anymore. They were really sticking to his face and leaving marks and making him cry when I took them off. So we are using the cloth patch over his glasses but he really hates it and won't leave his glasses on. I end up putting him in the kitchen chair or on the couch and have to literally sit with him for 2 hrs. P.I.T.A. Gotta do what you gotta do!

Daddy started a new job on April 13th. He has better pay, better hours. He know gets home at 3p.m. instead of 4:30-5p.m. It's hard to get used too, but it's nice to have him around. After 90 days we will have health insurance again and we can cancel the health insurance that we had to get on our own. $500.00 a month is killing us financially. And he used to work at this company a long time ago (20yrs) and after 90 days they are giving him his time back(5yrs and vacation pay) that will be nice.

Daddy got a new truck. Our 95 Ford was about done. We found a 99 Dodge 1500 2 wheel drive. It's nice and has a back seat so the whole family can go! All we had to do was put new plugs and wires in it and she runs like a champ. Cost us $1,000.00.

And my van is having issues again. need front end work done. We will start that soon.

Here is a picture to share. Update more later....gotta run for now.

Before surgery

Going home after surgery

Dental Procedure Scheduled

2011-04-11T13:41:00.000-04:00

Jonathon has been taking prescription Claritin for a few days last week and then switched over to the Zpac. Finished up his meds this morning.

Spoke with the hospital early this afternoon and let them know what has been going on. We are still scheduled for tomorrow morning. They will check him over before his procedure and if they think he is not healthy enough they will cancel. I think he is doing great and we won't be cancelled.

We have to be at Childrens of Detroit at 6 a.m. for admitting. which means Gilbert and I will have to get up around 4 a.m. We will need to leave our house around 5 a.m.

Jonathon will be getting xrays taken, some cavities filled and then a cleaning.
Please keep him in your prayers that all goes well.

Which also means those teenagers have to get up on their own!!!! Hmmmm......wonder if they can do it........

Well I am glad tomorrow is finally coming and I will be glad when it's all done!

Here is a couple of pictures from yesterday! Can't wait to get back outside.

Gorgeous day

2011-04-10T21:17:00.003-04:00

Our weather was beautiful this afternoon. Our temps got up to 81! And I know it won't be that nice tomorrow but we really enjoyed today.
We pulled out some of Jonathon's toys and he had a blast outside. He went out at 3pm and I had to drag him in at 6pm for dinner. Of course he was very sad.
I can't wait until we can go out everyday!
2 days to dental procedure.....

I have been blogging from my cell phone last couple of days and I guess I cannot upload pictures from my phone because they come out sideways.

Day 3 eyewear

2011-04-09T09:45:00.001-04:00

This morning Jonathon ran and yelled and did not want to put on his patch. Makes me sad that this is yet one more obstacle we have to deal with. To most this would seem like no big deal....but to us it is. Just for once I wish we could go to an appointment and be told "all is good".. I at least didnit cry this time. When I got told he had to wear glasses I was devasted.....just because it was one more thing we had to deal with.....like I said I am getting better.

Hopefully this eye patch thing will get easier on both of us...

3 days until dental procedure!

Day 2 Eyewear

2011-04-08T20:15:00.000-04:00

Jonathon is not liking his new eye wear! This morning he actually stood in the corner ~ as if he was placed in time - out. And yelled NOOOOOOO!!!! and covered his head in shame....or in anger. not too sure.

Then he was ok when we left to take Andrew to the chiropractor. When his 3 hour window was almost up he started tugging at the patch. Today we used a fancy patch because we were out doing errands, but he has a red mark on his face now. I am not sure if it's the way I took it off or he is irritated by that kind. Tomorrow I will use the plain one again and see what happens.

Eye Appoinment

2011-04-07T19:17:00.000-04:00

on Wednesday afternoon for Jonathon. His eyes look good with his glasses on. Dr. Eyes even said that his prescription even looks a little better except....that his right eye is still stronger than his left eye so now it's time for a .........

In the first couple of pictures he has on a cloth patch that goes over his lens on his glasses. I like this patch better because it is not stuck on his face, but no, my son is not going to cooperate as usual(he wouldn't leave his glasses on) so we had to stick a patch on his face.

He did not like it, but after a few minutes he did leave it alone. He has to wear a patch for 2-3 hours every day. We go back in June for a recheck. Hopefully this will make his left eye stronger. (fingers crossed).

Today I put the patch on as soon as he woke up. Then I set the timer and told him after two dings he could take the patch off.

Not bad today....every day will get easier.

Countdown

2011-04-05T19:45:00.000-04:00

until Dental Procedure.....Jonathon went in on Monday to get his physical done. He is on prescription Claritin right now because his allergies are acting up..

I will be calling the Dentist office to make sure they are not cancelling because he is on this medicine. Pediatrician didn't think it would be a concern, but it doesn't hurt to check.

Jonathon's Dental Procedure will be next Tuesday....He is having xrays taken, fillings for a couple of cavities and then Dr. Dentist will clean his teeth.

I hope he stays healthy and we don't have to reschedule. I just want to get this over with.

Playdate!

2011-04-03T12:31:00.000-04:00

This time we got to go out for our playdate! We went to Rylee's house!

Jonathon and Rylee had a wonderful time playing together. Of course there was a couple of sad moments, but who doesn't have that with their best friend!!

Jonathon enjoyed going out to play. It was nice to get out of our living room for once.

Thank you Rylee and Nik(Rylee's mom)! Can't wait til next time.

Doll house? Who needs that! I makes a great garage! LOL!!!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-03-30T14:18:00.000-04:00

No excuses

2011-03-29T19:56:00.000-04:00

I do not have any real reason to not be blogging lately.

No really good reason.

I have had many issues with my computer.

It's from 2001 and it was given to me and it is slowly giving up on me.

Hopefully in a few weeks I will be the proud owner of a laptop.

I also have just been tired.

Maybe it's the winter blues.

Maybe its because I cannot get a job.

Well I probably could if my hubby would cooperate a little.

And I have been busy playing with Jonathon as always......

And I now have to ~~take~~ run Andrew to the chiropractor twice per week.

Have doctor appointments coming up.

Fighting to get Jonathon's insurance back before his dental procedure on April 12th.

They decided to cancel him.

I will try to get back on track.

Thank you for reading.

Please don't stop!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-03-23T20:13:00.000-04:00

Happy Birthday Grandma

2011-03-21T14:12:00.000-04:00

Usually this time of year Jonathon is sick so we don't venture out. But for once the temps were not bad and Jonathon is healthy!

So off to Grandma and Grandpas we went to celebrate Grandma's 68th birthday!! Grandma and Grandpa Panczyk live in Croswell. Which is about 60 minute drive for us. So we let Andrew drive ~ he is in stage 1 drivers ed. He did great!

We had a roast and dumpling dinner with salad, green beans and corn from the garden(frozen that is). Then afterward we had cake and pie. It was a good day up until the very end......

I won't even go into detail, because I don't know how to explain the short version except for Grandma called Grandpa the forbidden "R" word! I tried to explain why not to say and brother in law got involved too and then Kenny tried to help out! Lets just say Grandma and Uncle Rob don't get it and did not apologize and we left.

But they are so clueless, that they have no idea how bad they hurt Kenny and I and Andrew and Jonathon. I am pissed.

I will be printing out some information to give them and hopefully one day they will get it. It's pretty sad to admit that your own family members don't think its wrong to use such language!

So I won't be sharing the pictures of Jonathon with his grandma. I don't believe she deserves it .....and I won't be giving the pictures to her either!

First Day Out

2011-03-17T20:26:00.000-04:00

Our temps were in the 60's today. Couldn't pass up the chance to try out the new boots and get some much needed fresh spring air!


"truckin along"


"oh" "Wow" it's my car!

All his balls - stored all winter in crabby

Thank you brothers for taking a little time out to spend with me! I had lots of fun!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-03-16T08:37:00.000-04:00

1st official "rain" day

For Jonathon

2011-03-11T10:41:00.000-05:00


For me!

Oh Wow!


A little too big


more boots and boots for mom too


I like my boots!

So I bought Jonathon 2 pairs of boots online. I thought maybe with 2 orders one would be correct. Nope. The monkey boots were from Walmart and a great deal $6.00, but they are too big. And the cars are from Disney Store, also great deal $12.99, but they too are too big. Darn it. So I went back online to Disney and ordered cars again. In a smaller size. I just like them better than the monkey boots. Hopefully this size will work for Jonathon. Then I will return these.

His snow boots are a 10 and work ok so I thought a 10 would work for rain boots too. My boots fit fine though.

I cannot wait to get Jonathon outside in the rain, mud, water, you name it, we are going to experience it. (last year I waited too long and couldn't find any boots). I myself have never owned a pair....crazy seems how I live in the country, so this is a new experience for me too. Can't wait!!!

And then I jinxed us! We woke up to NO SCHOOL again!

Storm warning until 5p.m. all schools closed because of blowing and drifting! Well maybe this will be gone by the time the new boots come in the mail! Says will be in high 50's by next Thursday! Come on Spring. This was rain and mud everywhere all week!

AND my brother made a quick trip to Florida to visit our mom and is having a hard time getting home today! He already got stuck in Charlotte NC. and is finally back in the air. I hope they let him land in Detroit today! Keeping fingers crossed and prayers they make it home safe. (John and Kim). Love you guys.