Changing Seasons
Greetings friends and family!
One of the problems with keeping our blog up to date is that I always tell myself I'll wait until after ________ (fill blank with some special occasion). And then the occasion comes and I find another one lurking around the corner. The upside of this is that it shows how many special occasions fill our lives.
Liliana . . . is Two! It is incredible to me that she has grown so much. Our family just welcomed a new little blessing, our cousin Michael, and looking at pictures of him it is almost impossible to comprehend that just two years ago that was our little Lilibug.
I always joke that Staylee has this way of dragging his birthday out for several weeks. Despite forgoing a party this year due to our trip to Orlando, Lili and I still managed to do it. The whole birthday celebration actually started on Friday, October 3 when my friends Jenn and T.J. took me out to a birthday lunch. Saturday night we celebrated the big day a bit early with Lili's Aunt Jenn and her husband. On her actual birthday Lili received a birthday blessing at church and enjoyed opening her presents from Mommy and Daddy later that evening. We had gotten her a toddler version of her Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (her favorite show) and ended up dragging her to bed because didn't want to stop playing. Grandma and Grandpa threw in some cake and more presents a few days later, and Mimi Carole finished things off with a special birthday dinner about two weeks later. All in all, we received so many wonderful gifts and cards--I still haven't finished all the thank you notes! We really are so loved.
Our trip to Florida was brief and not without bumps, but we had such a wonderful time spending with friends and experiencing so many unique things--it really was a once in a lifetime trip. We were able go Trick or Treating in the Magic Kingdom; Lili's first real experience with it. Disney Fairytale Weddings help sponsor a wonderful event at the Adventurers Club where we got to have yummy appetizers and desserts while enjoying the show and performers. We had brunch in Neverland and Dinner with Pirates of the Caribbean and somewhere in the middle of all of that managed some park time as well as getting our family pictures taken. The pictures were done by Randy Chapman, our wedding photographer, and he was just amazing. Taking pictures of a two year old is in no way easy and he worked so hard to get good shots. He even met us on a separate day to pick up some new shots, just to make sure. As with our wedding pictures, he was worth every penny.
Lilibug has become such a fascinating little person. Playing outside is a daily routine that she looks forward to. Coloring is also something we're started doing. She received a giant coloring book for her birthday and her day often consists of working on some of her pictures, adding to things she has already started. Apparently it is her Sistine Chapel. She loves anything having to do with Mickey Mouse, especially Minnie Mouse. We got to see Minnie three times in Orlando and all three times left the meeting with a sobbing toddler because she didn't want to leave. She is also interested in Handy Manny and Little Einsteins.
Anything with music holds a strong appeal for her--although she doesn't really sing the songs, she does have elaborate dances that go with them. We attended her school's open house this week where part of the program was all of the various classes singing songs. What Lili lacked in singing, she made up for in enthusiastic dancing. She has taken to singing parts of her songs around the house. We just didn't realize it until we heard the actual songs. It doesn't even have to be children's songs. Our friend Geneva got us hooked on Dancing with the Stars and Lili just loves it. She dances along to the music and claps when the songs are over. It is now a staple in our Monday night ritual.
Swimming remains a big part of our lives. Lili has been allowed to join the advanced toddler class where we are working on her strokes and kicks. This session there aren't any other children in the class, so we are basically getting private lessons. Lili loves her swimming coach, Stephanie, and tries to imitate her. Stephanie is very patient, but actually makes Lili work on her swimming, rather than just letting her splash and play. We are currently working on our Australian Crawl. Lili's strokes are getting better, although we are still working on our stomach kicks.
It is amazing to me how fearless Lili can be. Last session, when we had a larger class, the instructors took the little kids to the diving pool to let them practice standing on the diving board. Lili was the only child who didn't cry as we got on the board (some wouldn't even step on it). I walked out behind her, but when she saw her coach in the water below, she jumped right in. The water was really cold, so she cried a bit out of shock, but then she was ready to go again. Back in her training pool, she has been jumping into the water, going all the way to the bottom of the pool (I think it's four and a half feet deep), and pushing off to swim to the surface. She is also apparently considering life as a swimming instructor, as she has been teaching her Handy Manny doll her swimming kicks and strokes.
Interestingly enough, many of the words Lili says have to do with swimming. We are still having speech therapy three times a month with Mindy and it has helped Lili pick up some words. But most of the things she says have to do with swimming--swim, kick, splash, shake, stroke, swish, let go. Mindy finds it funny because the words Lili is picking to say are some of the hardest. It's like she's working backward. I told Stephanie about her swimming vocabulary advancement, so she has started working with Lili as well. With Mindy, Stephanie, my mom and dad, Staylee and me, and Lili's teachers working with her we now have additionally: 'ickey (Mickey), 'anda (Panda--every time she sees the Kung Fu Panda commercial), one two three, EFG, up and down, quack quack, Bunny (thanks to our wedding/family photographer Randy Chapman), Uh-oh, and a few others I'm not thinking of at the moment. We are hopeful that things will continue to improve.
Liliana continues to love school. We really love Trinity Presbyterian because they offer a Christian based education. And I do mean education. Lili has science, art, library, chapel--all sorts of educational things, rather than just running around. Her teachers are just that--teachers instead of people who just watch our child. We have so many of her art works, we are running out of room! Anyone wanting a Liliana original, just let us know. They are also teaching her bible verses and prayer--she actually does prayer hands and bows her head when we say our prayers now. It is very sweet.
I frequently tell people that there is such a strange conflict with Lili at this age. On one hand, she is so much more demonstratively loving--she hugs us all the times, hugs and kisses the dogs, and looks after her babies. On the flip side, her lack of speech and the age in general lead to some serious tantrums. She is such a passionate little girl; sometimes she just doesn't know how to express her anger.
Staylee . . . Has finally been taken off of restricted duty at work as his back has improved. He is taking Trig and History this semester and somehow managing to make good grades while working like crazy.
This past summer I had noticed that Staylee was snoring an incredible amount at night. Needless to say, it made me a grouchy because it definitely kept me up. However, we are now so glad it did. One night I noticed that he would stop breathing for long stretches at a time. We were both concerned and so he met with our family doctor. After two sleep studies, we discovered Staylee has serious sleep apnea. During one session he actually stopped breathing 27 times in one hour. He now has a machine to help him keep breathing at night. I am just so thankful for the snoring; otherwise we might not have been able to intervene before the issue got worse.
Amber . . . Teaching is frustrating, rewarding, overwhelming, fascinating, glorious, devastating, and inspiring all at the same time. The amount of preparation and work that go into each class is insane--just when I figure something out, it's on to the next topic. That being said, I really love Howard. The school is just a fit for me. I have been very blessed to have been taken under the wing of Linda Conway, another English teacher. She is the one who I think really got me my job to begin with (she is friends with one of my Sul Ross professors) and has proven irreplaceable in terms of her guidance, kind ear, and general spirit. It also helps that we just mesh personality-wise. It might be because she reminds me a bit of Staylee's stepmother--and we hit it off in the same way. I hope to post a more detailed analysis of my experiences on my other blog, but alas it won't be for a few more weeks. Things are just way too busy.
That pretty much brings us up to date. In the coming weeks we will be moving toward the end of the semester (!) and the holidays. As a special treat this year, we will spending Thanksgiving in Oklahoma with Staylee's parents and then Christmas at home. Lili really got excited about Halloween (we're still playing Trick or Treat), so I'm hoping Christmas will be the same way.
On the thoughts and prayers front--we ask that you continue to pray for my aunt Lynn as she moves through the next stage of her cancer treatments. We also ask that you pray for our family, especially Staylee's father Ronnie and his side, due to the passing last week of Staylee's Grandfather, Ray Anderson.
Pictures are on their way! I'll post them next week and email the alert.
Best,
Amber
One of the problems with keeping our blog up to date is that I always tell myself I'll wait until after ________ (fill blank with some special occasion). And then the occasion comes and I find another one lurking around the corner. The upside of this is that it shows how many special occasions fill our lives.
Liliana . . . is Two! It is incredible to me that she has grown so much. Our family just welcomed a new little blessing, our cousin Michael, and looking at pictures of him it is almost impossible to comprehend that just two years ago that was our little Lilibug.
I always joke that Staylee has this way of dragging his birthday out for several weeks. Despite forgoing a party this year due to our trip to Orlando, Lili and I still managed to do it. The whole birthday celebration actually started on Friday, October 3 when my friends Jenn and T.J. took me out to a birthday lunch. Saturday night we celebrated the big day a bit early with Lili's Aunt Jenn and her husband. On her actual birthday Lili received a birthday blessing at church and enjoyed opening her presents from Mommy and Daddy later that evening. We had gotten her a toddler version of her Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (her favorite show) and ended up dragging her to bed because didn't want to stop playing. Grandma and Grandpa threw in some cake and more presents a few days later, and Mimi Carole finished things off with a special birthday dinner about two weeks later. All in all, we received so many wonderful gifts and cards--I still haven't finished all the thank you notes! We really are so loved.
Our trip to Florida was brief and not without bumps, but we had such a wonderful time spending with friends and experiencing so many unique things--it really was a once in a lifetime trip. We were able go Trick or Treating in the Magic Kingdom; Lili's first real experience with it. Disney Fairytale Weddings help sponsor a wonderful event at the Adventurers Club where we got to have yummy appetizers and desserts while enjoying the show and performers. We had brunch in Neverland and Dinner with Pirates of the Caribbean and somewhere in the middle of all of that managed some park time as well as getting our family pictures taken. The pictures were done by Randy Chapman, our wedding photographer, and he was just amazing. Taking pictures of a two year old is in no way easy and he worked so hard to get good shots. He even met us on a separate day to pick up some new shots, just to make sure. As with our wedding pictures, he was worth every penny.
Lilibug has become such a fascinating little person. Playing outside is a daily routine that she looks forward to. Coloring is also something we're started doing. She received a giant coloring book for her birthday and her day often consists of working on some of her pictures, adding to things she has already started. Apparently it is her Sistine Chapel. She loves anything having to do with Mickey Mouse, especially Minnie Mouse. We got to see Minnie three times in Orlando and all three times left the meeting with a sobbing toddler because she didn't want to leave. She is also interested in Handy Manny and Little Einsteins.
Anything with music holds a strong appeal for her--although she doesn't really sing the songs, she does have elaborate dances that go with them. We attended her school's open house this week where part of the program was all of the various classes singing songs. What Lili lacked in singing, she made up for in enthusiastic dancing. She has taken to singing parts of her songs around the house. We just didn't realize it until we heard the actual songs. It doesn't even have to be children's songs. Our friend Geneva got us hooked on Dancing with the Stars and Lili just loves it. She dances along to the music and claps when the songs are over. It is now a staple in our Monday night ritual.
Swimming remains a big part of our lives. Lili has been allowed to join the advanced toddler class where we are working on her strokes and kicks. This session there aren't any other children in the class, so we are basically getting private lessons. Lili loves her swimming coach, Stephanie, and tries to imitate her. Stephanie is very patient, but actually makes Lili work on her swimming, rather than just letting her splash and play. We are currently working on our Australian Crawl. Lili's strokes are getting better, although we are still working on our stomach kicks.
It is amazing to me how fearless Lili can be. Last session, when we had a larger class, the instructors took the little kids to the diving pool to let them practice standing on the diving board. Lili was the only child who didn't cry as we got on the board (some wouldn't even step on it). I walked out behind her, but when she saw her coach in the water below, she jumped right in. The water was really cold, so she cried a bit out of shock, but then she was ready to go again. Back in her training pool, she has been jumping into the water, going all the way to the bottom of the pool (I think it's four and a half feet deep), and pushing off to swim to the surface. She is also apparently considering life as a swimming instructor, as she has been teaching her Handy Manny doll her swimming kicks and strokes.
Interestingly enough, many of the words Lili says have to do with swimming. We are still having speech therapy three times a month with Mindy and it has helped Lili pick up some words. But most of the things she says have to do with swimming--swim, kick, splash, shake, stroke, swish, let go. Mindy finds it funny because the words Lili is picking to say are some of the hardest. It's like she's working backward. I told Stephanie about her swimming vocabulary advancement, so she has started working with Lili as well. With Mindy, Stephanie, my mom and dad, Staylee and me, and Lili's teachers working with her we now have additionally: 'ickey (Mickey), 'anda (Panda--every time she sees the Kung Fu Panda commercial), one two three, EFG, up and down, quack quack, Bunny (thanks to our wedding/family photographer Randy Chapman), Uh-oh, and a few others I'm not thinking of at the moment. We are hopeful that things will continue to improve.
Liliana continues to love school. We really love Trinity Presbyterian because they offer a Christian based education. And I do mean education. Lili has science, art, library, chapel--all sorts of educational things, rather than just running around. Her teachers are just that--teachers instead of people who just watch our child. We have so many of her art works, we are running out of room! Anyone wanting a Liliana original, just let us know. They are also teaching her bible verses and prayer--she actually does prayer hands and bows her head when we say our prayers now. It is very sweet.
I frequently tell people that there is such a strange conflict with Lili at this age. On one hand, she is so much more demonstratively loving--she hugs us all the times, hugs and kisses the dogs, and looks after her babies. On the flip side, her lack of speech and the age in general lead to some serious tantrums. She is such a passionate little girl; sometimes she just doesn't know how to express her anger.
Staylee . . . Has finally been taken off of restricted duty at work as his back has improved. He is taking Trig and History this semester and somehow managing to make good grades while working like crazy.
This past summer I had noticed that Staylee was snoring an incredible amount at night. Needless to say, it made me a grouchy because it definitely kept me up. However, we are now so glad it did. One night I noticed that he would stop breathing for long stretches at a time. We were both concerned and so he met with our family doctor. After two sleep studies, we discovered Staylee has serious sleep apnea. During one session he actually stopped breathing 27 times in one hour. He now has a machine to help him keep breathing at night. I am just so thankful for the snoring; otherwise we might not have been able to intervene before the issue got worse.
Amber . . . Teaching is frustrating, rewarding, overwhelming, fascinating, glorious, devastating, and inspiring all at the same time. The amount of preparation and work that go into each class is insane--just when I figure something out, it's on to the next topic. That being said, I really love Howard. The school is just a fit for me. I have been very blessed to have been taken under the wing of Linda Conway, another English teacher. She is the one who I think really got me my job to begin with (she is friends with one of my Sul Ross professors) and has proven irreplaceable in terms of her guidance, kind ear, and general spirit. It also helps that we just mesh personality-wise. It might be because she reminds me a bit of Staylee's stepmother--and we hit it off in the same way. I hope to post a more detailed analysis of my experiences on my other blog, but alas it won't be for a few more weeks. Things are just way too busy.
That pretty much brings us up to date. In the coming weeks we will be moving toward the end of the semester (!) and the holidays. As a special treat this year, we will spending Thanksgiving in Oklahoma with Staylee's parents and then Christmas at home. Lili really got excited about Halloween (we're still playing Trick or Treat), so I'm hoping Christmas will be the same way.
On the thoughts and prayers front--we ask that you continue to pray for my aunt Lynn as she moves through the next stage of her cancer treatments. We also ask that you pray for our family, especially Staylee's father Ronnie and his side, due to the passing last week of Staylee's Grandfather, Ray Anderson.
Pictures are on their way! I'll post them next week and email the alert.
Best,
Amber
posted by Amber @ 9:51 AM
0 Comments
