January Tidbits

January started out fast and furious for us.  Because things were so busy around Ryan's birthday we waited to throw him a birthday party with friends until January.  He asked for a "pirate" theme. 

1. Ryan's Party: We made chocolate cupcakes and I found some cheap decorations to put on top.  We had just a few snacks at the party: chips and salsa, a vegetable tray with some dip, punch (sherbert and sprite), and little bottles of water. 

Everyone took a map which led us around the party stations.  The first station was to dress like a pirate. 

 We had some foam swords available and some plastic pirate hats and eye patches, but some of the kids came with their own bandanas.  Also cool!

 We had our little craft table set up at Smee's  tatoo parlor.  Then the kids got tatoo-ed up. 

Then the map took the kids to station three, making their own treasure chest.  If you are a pirate and going on a treasure hunt, you need a treasure chest to keep your loot in.  The treasure boxes were $2.00 from Michaels craft store, and we had the other decorate stuff on hand.  I put out some glitter, stickers, stamps, shells and modge-podge.  The boxes decorated with stickers and modge-podge turned out very cute.  (The centerpiece is a boat Ryan made with his christmas tools).

 Then the map took us to an epic pirate "cannonball" fight which basically played out like dodge-ball with black balloons.  After that, they followed the arrows all over the kitchen and living room to find the treasure.  The arrows led them to the basement, where the treasure was buried in the sand table.  I had a bunch of prizes from my Speech Therapy prize box leftover, so I just used those as "treasure" (things like gold coins, medals, pencils, stencils, stickers, shells, pretty rocks, etc). 

 We wrapped up with cup-cakes and snacks.  

2. Back to School:  We jumped back into school and it was nice to get back to work.  Dylan continues to love his "chick-a-chicka-boom-boom" lessons.  We have decorated our ABC tree for winter using cotton balls for snow and dollar store snow-flakes. 

 

Our co-op began again this month as well.  We are doing a unit on nutrition and anatomy.   The first assignment was for the kids to help plan and make a well-balanced dinner.  Ryan planned baked chicken, cooked carrots and baked zucchini with cheese. We didn't quite meet all the requirements since we were missing a fruit and a grain.  He helped cook his dinner by trimming the fat off the chicken, putting the spices on the chicken, and putting the pan in the oven (with supervision of course).   He gave his meal a big thumbs up.  

While studying the Tudor's, Ryan couldn't help but notice that this queen had, "Super big muscles." 

 3. Surviving Winter: As usual in January, we are "surviving" winter.  This usually means doing anything possible to stay warm. Like drinking lots of hot coacoa and hot tea, wearing  legwarmers and layers and thermal underwear.....reading a lot of books and watching a lot of movies under blankets.  However, so far, this winter has been something of a disapointment in the snow department.  I can not believe I am saying this.  But I found a round snow brick maker and I was pretty excited to attempt a really good snow igloo this year.  So far, there just hasn't been enough snow.  Maybe February will bring the snow....

A New Year: Reflections and Saying Goodbye

I was reflecting on December 28th, about the birth of my special little guy, Ryan.  I could not believe we had been responsible for keeping him happy, healthy and alive for six years.  Not to mention the tremendous happiness he brings to our lives just by being himself.
He was so soft, round, cuddly and sweet as a baby.

Now he's tall, slender, has a great sense of humor (except he's still figuring out how to tell a good knock-knock joke), he has a heart to obey and please his parents, and you could not ask for a better big brother to Dylan.  We also discovered my special little guy had his first loose tooth the day of his birthday. 

This year, Ryan's birthday was touched with sadness.  We got the call that morning that my grandmother had passed away, on his birthday at 12:40 a.m.  We immediately began packing to leave for the funeral, which was a two day journey away.  And so this happy day was also touched with grief.

My grandmother was one of the sweetest people I have been privaleged to know.  Her house was always a sanctuary of comfort and rest, not only thanks to keeping her house immaculate, but also thanks to her gentle and quiet manner.  She was in pain for much of her life, thanks to having an autoimmune disorder.  Yet I never recall her complaining or speaking much about herself.   

In more recent years, she had a characteristic shuffling walk and she would often get attention by laying a gentle hand on your arm.  Grandma never thought ill of anyone.  She was always putting herself in someone else's shoes and trying to see how they were feeling.

Growing up, I recall they always had a jar of M&M's free for the taking.  My parents, being responsible parents did not always allow me to have as many as I wanted, which would have been all of them.   I had been begging for m&ms from the jar that was always filled with candy at their house but my mom had forbidden it. Grandma asked me to come help her in the basement. On the way down, she held my hand, pressing a small handful of m&ms into my chubby hand. "Shhh" she whispered and winked at me. I stared at her round eyed and told her mom had said no. Surely she didn't know that or she wouldn't have gifted me forbidden candy. She just smiled and told me she was "grandma" and grandmas did what they wanted. She said it was our secret.  Grandma was a special person who gave and loved without cause and especially when it was not deserved.  

There is no question that cleanliness was of great importance to my grandma.  If you wanted, you could probably eat off her bathroom floor.  It sparkles.  She was always insisting gently that we wear slippers in the house, the garage and the basement.  Yet, she was patient with our childish messes.  When I was about three or four years old, I had the great idea to pour my mother's face wash on the sparkling wood floor of the guest bedroom with my younger cousin.  We smeared that stuff over every inch of the floor.  Then we began "ice skating" on the slippery surface.  When they found us, Grandma must have been horrified by the mess.  But she was the first one to insist we didn't know any better when punishment was metered out.  

It's really hard to fully capture with words the person she was or express the void that will be there now that she is gone.

This new years eve found us in black, gathered around her casket and saying final goodbyes.  Nothing reminds you that the essence of what makes someone you know who they were like looking at the body they left behind.  It truly brings home the fact that they are gone.  But there was relief too.  Relief she is no longer in pain.  And peace in knowing that this goodbye is only for a short while.  I know exactly where my grandmother is.  She is in heaven.  She is happy and whole in a body that does not hurt or feel pain.  I know I will see her again.  This goodbye is just for a short while. 

Happy New Year: Recap Part 1

Welcome 2015! The last bits of December 2014 were incredibly busy and we had a lot going on, so here's a little bit of a re-cap: 

Mid December: We traveled to spend an "early christmas"with the Grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles. 

 As luck would have it, my sister and her family were traveling through the same city at the time we were visiting and we met up with them at a local Chick-Fil-A.    Ryan and Dylan enjoyed playing with Noah and Jesse for a few hours while the adults played catch up. 

Ruby Falls:  As part of the kids Christmas, we wanted to give them one more experience gift.  We had planned on Mammoth Cave, but it was sold out of tickets the night before, so thankfully Aunt Linda discovered Ruby Falls Caverns instead.  All the cousins, Uncle Ken, Aunt Cassie, Unle Rod and Aunt Linda caravaned to Ruby Falls for a fun adventure.  We hiked a few hundred feet to an underground waterfall.  The kids were blown away by not only the waterfall but the stalactites and stalagtites and other rock formations.

After that hike, we were able to go on the Christmas Cave tunnel. The kids hiked down a decorated tunnel to see Santa Claus. 

 There was a little elf village.  The kids were given a leather pouch with three gingerbread men tokens to exchange for activities on the trail. 

 Here they are with Santa.  They sat on his lap and told him what they wanted for Christmas. Santa gave them each a glowing ball "wish" to put in his wish machine. 

 Here Dylan is putting his wish in the machine.

 Here Ryan is exchanging his first gingerbread man for a crystal.  He put the crystal in the joy-o-meter to see how much Christmas spirit he had.  He got an A plus and got to keep the crystal.

 For the second gingerbread man, they searched for the red joystone, also which they got to keep.  The third gingerbread man was exchanged for breaking and keeping a geode.  

 Here all the cousins pose before leaving the caves for home.

 Back at Grandma and Grandpa's, it wouldn't be Christmas at their house without baking, decorating and devouring gingerbread and sugar cookies!

 After a big Christmas exchange, it's time to say goodbye.  Saying goodbye to family is never fun. These cousins will miss each other!