J Pelham Family

Happy 8th Birthday James!!

2012-02-03T12:22:00.005-07:00

For James' birthday this year we had a pizza party and cupcakes for his class. We also invited Mrs. Taylor's class to join us in Mrs. Downs' room for the party. The two classes do everything together already so we wanted to invite them to celebrate James' birthday too. The kids had a blast. There was lots of pizza to go around. Afterwards they went to recess and the girls did a skit, song and dance for James which they have been working on all week- haha! While I was grading the spelling tests many of them included James in their sentences as well :). Very cute!

Can't wait until breakfast!!

2012-01-25T19:30:00.001-07:00

Jacob and I made our family favorite Morning Glory Muffins tonight. They include shredded carrots, diced apples, and dried cranberries. Yummy!

Super Mommy

2012-01-24T13:55:00.001-07:00

I got to be super mom for a few seconds today for James. Today is their 100th day of school and he was asked to bring in 100 things, wear a hat with 100 on it or a necklace with 100 things on it, and/or bring in something that is 100 inches or cm. He was all set, 100 things in his bag, and his hat on with stickers on it that said 100%. His seatbelt was buckled and we were pulling out if the driveway when he decided he also wanted to bring something that is 100cm or inches. I jumped out of the car with my eyes on the red, big umbrella, grabbed the tape measure and sure enough, it was exactly 100 cm. Thank goodness. That could have made us late for school!! He was overjoyed and amazed I found something so quickly and so was I. I felt like super mom seeing him so happy. It was the greatest feeling in the world making him happy.

Everyday Life

2012-01-24T07:29:00.001-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0firKHWOTY&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Kisses and Hugs

2012-01-19T08:51:00.001-07:00

Everyday when James and Jacob get out of the van at school they give their sister a hug and kiss goodbye. Today they forgot to do that. As we drove out of the school parking lot and all the way to gym Jaelyn repeated herself. "James and Jacob kiss a me. Hug. Please mommy Please! Please mommy James and Jacob kiss a me.". My heart broke. I just kept telling her, "I'm sorry. After school they will." To which she replied, "Pleeeeaaase". Aw, what can I do or say to that??

KIDS Rock AZ

2012-01-14T11:33:00.001-07:00

This is an incredibly emotional day for me. The second consecutive year my kids have run the KIDS Rock. There is nothing like seeing the joy and proud smiles on their faces as they run their course and cross that finish line. It makes all of MY running worth it. Even on the days I hate it the most. They complain during their training but come race day their self esteem sky rockets. So proud of them. James (2nd grade) ran his mile in 8:44 knocking three minutes off his last years race time. And Jacob ran his first KIDS Rock, .62 (half mile for kindergartners), in 7:28!! So so so proud of my boys.
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Josh's Words About James to His Mom

2011-12-29T23:02:00.001-07:00

Forgot to tell u, in James' class they have been building a city. He decided to run for mayor, along with 6 other people. He received the majority vote.
And today everyone was building their own house for the city and he said he had to answer a thousand questions all day today like "can I have snow on my roof?" etc. he is proud of himself that he campaigned and won
He ran in the platform on no littering, keeping people safe, and keeping people healthy - no junk food allowed.
He laughed tonight tho cuz he said they only have 6 shops in town and one of them is a candy store lol
Yeah I agree. I'd say he is more confident now than he's ever been
Juli and I feel like we r pretty hard on him and expect so much from him. sometimes we forget how good of a kid he really is
Yeah, like me being voted a peer mentor
They r always doing a "pillar" in class. December was caring. Monday morning juli woke up complaining of a sore throat. James heard he say it to me and brought her a glass of ice water, unprompted.
So juli wrote it down and sent the note to school with him

Merry Christmas 2011

2011-12-25T08:30:00.012-07:00

Before...

During...

My responsible child...

Jaely wants the Mac from Uncle Ben!

After...

Merry Christmas Eve with Great Grandma and Great Grandpa McDanold

2011-12-24T19:00:00.004-07:00

More Pics from Our Visit to Santa

2011-12-24T09:05:00.001-07:00

2011-12-24T09:04:00.004-07:00

2011-12-24T09:04:00.003-07:00

2011-12-24T09:04:00.001-07:00

Santa Visit

2011-12-23T16:43:00.001-07:00

We saw Santa today. Jaely did great! She walked right up and sat in his lap. Then she was a little unsure, but my brave girl never cried :).

Jacob's Kindergarten Snow Show

2011-12-22T15:15:00.009-07:00

Jingle Bells Jungle Bells Jingle All the Way...

Jacob colored a snowman. He even chose to add a broom and arms to it (he was the only one). It is so cute!!

Here are the videos of his performance!

2011-12-21T20:41:00.001-07:00

Every once in a long while, my kids surprise me. Tonight they were so good at dinner!!! I felt like I was eating with and having conversation with adults. It was amazing. Thank you James, Jacob and even Jaely for being so good tonight.

Christmas Cookies Day Two

2011-12-18T13:08:00.003-07:00

Christmas Cookies Day One

2011-12-18T13:08:00.001-07:00

Jacob is a Pro!!

2011-12-09T16:52:00.001-07:00

Jacob learned to ride without training wheels about a year ago. But after falling down, he became nervous and refused to ride without his training wheels. It was just recently he gave two wheels another go in the grass behind our house and he took off like a pro. After a day or two of practice he was riding on the sidewalks again! Here he is riding in the street (for my video). Go Jacob!!

And So Feeling Old Begins

2011-11-27T18:28:00.001-07:00

James: Mom, what is this?
Me: That's called a cassette tape honey.

All in a Day's Work

2011-11-23T18:45:00.001-07:00

Cherry Pie, Fudge, and Grandma O's Banana Bread. Yummy! Can't wait for tomorrow.

Grammy's Banana what??

2011-11-23T13:50:00.000-07:00

Jacob decided to turn her banana bread into Banana muffins. :)

Ready for Thanksgiving

2011-11-23T13:17:00.001-07:00

Grammy's Secret Banana Bread

2011-11-23T12:58:00.000-07:00

Jacob and I made Grammy's banana bread today after he made a cherry pie.

Jacob's Thanksgiving Cherry Pie

2011-11-23T12:17:00.000-07:00

Drive Home From the Bowling Alley

2011-11-11T15:10:00.001-07:00

James: Jacob do you want a sundae?
Jacob: It's Friday

Me: James you're a pimp. Jacob: James is not a chimp Daddy is a chimp.

Jacob got a fortune telling fish at the bowling alley. It said he can't make decisions. He has been whining the entire drive home cause he doesn't like his fish. I said Jacob you can go to your room when we get home if you keep whining. You need to decide what you're going to do. James: the fish said he can't make decisions. Jacob: WORRY ABOUT YOURSELF.

2011-11-01T09:26:00.001-07:00

So cute!

How old are you Jaely? "Two!"

2011-11-01T08:37:00.001-07:00

Two Perfect Report Cards!

2011-10-21T13:09:00.003-07:00

We had two wonderful parent/teacher conferences this month. Both of the kids' teachers had nothing, but great things to say about the boys.

We had James' conferences two weeks ago. She let us know that he is reading at a 4th grade level (the highest in the class). She is reading with him on an individual basis to help challenge him. His biggest struggle is his comprehension. Although it is still beyond the second grade level, it is not up to par with his reading level. His math skills amaze her. He LOVES mental math so much and both Josh and I could feel his teacher's excitement as she described his passion to us. She told us that he is always the first to raise his hand when the kids are not allowed to use pencil or paper to solve a problem and then James leads the class on the white board showing everyone how he solved the problem. She also has him doing the other math skills they are learning in class, but at a harder level. There is another girl that is at his level in another one of the second grade classrooms so they have him and her working together everyday. She told us that they hear the two of them exchanging different strategies and she will teach him things that he does not understand and he will teach her the things that she does not understand. I love the progress he is making this year and how well he is advancing in school.

Our biggest concern going into his classroom was not how he is doing academically but how James is doing socially. That has always been our biggest concern with him as a gifted child. I was not sure if he was getting along or trying hard to fit in. When he gets home from school he has a hard time expressing his frustrations and he thinks so hard at school he gets home and often comes unleashed. She reassured us that he is very well loved at school. In fact, she told us that everyone loves him and that even his peers are amazed at how smart he is. She told us he walks in the classroom and everyone is excited to see him so being liked is not an issue. That helped to put a lot of my fears for him at ease.

We are very proud of James and all of his accomplishments.

Since having our first child a "gifted" child, we have had a hard time gauging exactly where Jacob stood and where he falls in his academic progress. We have never felt that he struggled, we always felt that he was the "norm" or right where he was supposed to be for his grade and age. Today we learned that Jacob is in the teachers highest groups for reading and for math. Jacob is currently where he is supposed to be at the end of his kindergarten year and very close to a first grade reading level. She said very soon she may have him leave the classroom and start reading for 20 minutes a day in a first grade classroom. Jacob's teacher also described Jacob's enthusiasm for math which I know surprised Josh and made him very happy. In Social Studies they are learning the pledge and she said he already knows all of it as well as stands for a moment of silence. In science, they are learning about how wood is made, and she noted that he loves science.

Many things that she told us about Jacob we already knew. Jacob is very expressive about his feelings and emotions and communicates with us VERY well. He told Josh this morning that he wanted to bring his lunch so that he could hide from his girlfriend behind his lunch box. Then, in the conference his teacher told us that during lunch they play with their lunchboxes and hid behind them. She said it is not a problem. It is lunch and he is a 5 year old boy and he is very good controlling his behavior in class and making good choices even when some of his friends do not. She even said that Jacob's new best friend in kindergarten, Seth, often made bad choices at school but he has gotten better and Jacob has been a good example for him.

I was very happy with how well his teacher has come to know him. She knew who all of his favorite kids were in the class, she mentioned who he liked to sit by. All of the kids we have heard Jacob talk a lot about and share stories with us about them.

Josh and I are both so very proud of both of our boys and how well they are succeeded academically and socially.

2.6 Miles with James

2011-10-18T15:40:00.001-07:00

I love this picture of James in Montana on 10-14-11. We had a wonderful run/walk together. I can't wait to log more miles and races with him!

Big Girl Bed

2011-10-18T12:14:00.000-07:00

Jaely is asleep in her new big girl bed!! I can't believe my baby is almost 2. Not fair!!

Jacob's Karate

2011-09-28T19:33:00.000-07:00

I LOVE IT!

LOOK What Jaely Let Me Do!

2011-09-17T19:45:00.001-07:00

Is He Serious???

2011-08-31T17:04:00.001-07:00

Me: Jacob, thank you for putting your plate in the sink when you were done eating, but you did not eat your hotdog.

Jacob: Big Daddy is full.

James' Monthly Project

2011-08-28T16:21:00.002-07:00

James and I started working on his monthly project today (due at the end of this week :). He has to create a power point presentation. Getting him to sit down to work with me was like pulling teeth. As we are working on it, he says to me "Ugh! This is worse than I thought."

I honestly didn't think it could be ANY worse than he thought it was going to be. He has been dreading it and putting it off the entire month!

Sneaking Food

2011-08-24T10:22:00.001-07:00

Jacob told me today he can't stop sneaking food.

Jacob Loses Tooth #4!!

2011-08-23T19:28:00.002-07:00

Just 11 days after tooth #3... tooth #4 comes out!

Jacob's Show N Tell

2011-08-23T16:09:00.004-07:00

Today Jacob got to bring Show N Tell to school. He chose to bring a two minute timer that the dentist gave him to use when he brushes his teeth. He brought it in a box and his job was to describe what it was so his friends could guess what he brought.

We picked him up from school and I could not wait to hear about how it went. I asked him how he described it. He said he told them it was green and has legs because he wanted to trick them! Josh and I immediately looked at each other and laughed hysterically. I asked him what his teacher said. He told me she guessed a gorilla.

Oh my... we have our hands full with this one.

Of course I did not allow him to end the story there. He had to tell me the rest. He told me he told them it is something you do when you brush your teeth and they guessed a timer.

Jaelyn's 1 Year Old Gymnastics

2011-08-22T12:28:00.001-07:00

Jaelyn came to work with me today. Obviously I can't take video of her while in class so here is just a little bit of her playing afterward. She isn't doing much here, but I just had to get her in her cute little leotard :).

Jaelyn Doesn't Want Me to Video Her

2011-08-21T17:43:00.000-07:00

Jaelyn's Big Week

2011-08-20T20:35:00.009-07:00

Jaelyn had a very big week this week. Tuesday, went to Thunderbird Hospital for her Voiding Cystourethrogram (VCUG). A procedure we have been planning for almost a year. Last year on July 31st, 2010 she was diagnosed with a Grade II Vesicoureteral Reflux or VUR. In layman's terms, this means that her urine travels back up from her bladder to kidney's in the reverse direction that it is supposed to travel. Since July 31st, she has visited a urologist who placed her on a very low dose of prophylactic antibiotics. She takes the antibiotics every evening at bedtime, has ultrasounds every six months to check on the growth of her kidneys and bladder, and finally, as long as she has VUR, she will have the VCUG procedure once a year. Her second VCUG took place on August 16, 2011, Tuesday. The results came back with no change from the previous year. Our hopes were that in the last year she would have outgrown it on her own, but unfortunately that did not happen.

Thursday we met with the Urologist again. He did an ultrasound on her kidneys and they are growing well and normal. He also reviewed the pictures taken during the VCUG. This a picture that was taken. It shows her bladder filled with the dye. It also shows her Ureters which would typically not show up on this type of x-ray. You can see both of her ureters clearly on her x-ray because the dye they inserted into the bladder is able to travel up into the ureters and to the kidneys. This is how they they determine that she has it and also the severeness of the reflux.
The Jaelyn's Urologist discussed three options with us. None in which I really want to choose, but I know we have to. The first option is for Jaelyn to have surgery. It is a medium surgery where she would be put under general anesthesia and they would make an incision in her lower abdomen. It is called Ureteral Reimplantation surgery. The surgery is about 98-99% effective and will correct the VUR.

The second option we were given is called Deflux. Deflux is an endoscopic injection in which they enter through that bladder to insert a gel-like material to fix the valve that is not working properly. This is an outpatient surgery, we would only be at the hospital for a few hours and she would be up walking around the next day, if not the same day. Unfortunately with this option there is only about an 80% success rate. She would remain on antibiotics for 6 weeks after the deflux and then have another VCUG to test for the Reflux.

The last and final option is to continue doing what we have been doing. She would continue to take antibiotics every day for another year, the dosage would increase slightly. She would have an ultrasound in 6 months to check her bladder and kidneys and then a VCUG and ultrasound in one year. There is a 50% chance that she will outgrow it at this point or we would revisit these options once more.

As of right now, Josh and I are leaning more towards keeping her on the antibiotics for another year. As much as I hate that she is on them, she does not seem to have any side effects of the ones that she is taking and they are working to prevent any further infections. Surgery is a sure thing, but at this point we agree with the dr. that it may be a little on the extreme side. The Deflux, as noninvasive as it is, I am not really OK with. I do not like the idea that it is only effective 80% of the time.

We are praying that this time next year she will have outgrown the reflux and we will not have to choose from these choices again.

Jaelyn Gets Her Cast Off

2011-08-19T17:35:00.001-07:00

2011-08-16T16:05:00.001-07:00

Jacob how was your day?
Bad
How come?
Because I didn't get to see Sam ALL DAY!

Kindergarten Day 5

2011-08-12T09:07:00.001-07:00

Mom, I don't really like school. This as he was getting out of the car in the drop off line. Ugh! This is so hard. I am so grateful James could not wait to get away from me because Jacob keeps breaking my heart.

Good Morning Mom! I Lost My Tooth!!

2011-08-12T06:06:00.002-07:00

Jacob came running in this morning with some exciting news. "I just reached in and took it out.". This tooth has been bothering him being loose for quite some time now. I was worried he was going to lose it at school so this worked out perfectly. The same tooth is loose on the other side so we should be seeing that one come out soon too :).

Back to School: Day 4

2011-08-11T08:38:00.002-07:00

Jacob just told me if I can go to his school and stay with him all day then I can remind him his snack is in his backpack.

After that, it was a long rough day for me. I missed him so so much. I was a little bit of a mess. Crying after I dropped them off. I went inside to walk them in and they would not let me walk Jacob to class. That made me mad and sad. Oh well. I went home and sat in the garage and shed a few tears before going in to get a water and getting myself to the gym.

Last night he crawled in bed with me and told me that he wished he was still in preschool because the days are so long. He also said, Why didn't you come to lunch with me today? :(. I am thinking I will revisit him tomorrow. I tool them to frozen yogurt tonight as way to spend more time with them and celebrate how well they are doing their first week of school.

Tonight would have been a good night for a glass of wine, but a migraine crept up on me. We will see how tomorrow goes. I think tomorrow might be better than next Monday.

Back to School Day 3

2011-08-10T09:31:00.003-07:00

On the way to school this morning...
Jacob: "Mom, you can color the picture I brought home yesterday because you are very good at coloring."
Me: "OK Jacob".
Jacob: "Mom, what do you say?"

I thought all was going to be good today. I am going shopping without the boys! What a great day. Then, Jacob broke my heart when he did not want to get out of the car. He said, "Why can't I just stay with you?" :( I walked him to the gate, he gave me a really tight and would not let go. I told him that I was going to go inside to get his lunchbox he left yesterday so I would see him inside. He let go and James held his hand and promised to help him find the correct place to line up. Once inside he did much better. He took his lunchbox out and put it in the pile outside his classroom, then his green folder and put it on her desk. He hung up his backpack, one more kiss and hug goodbye and we was good. Not sure how long this will last or if dropping him off at kindergarten will break my heart every day this year.

First Day of School 2011

2011-08-08T20:50:00.006-07:00

Today Jacob started Kindergarten and James started the 2nd grade.

Jacob was very excited. At 630 he was dressed, got himself breakfast, and was dancing to music. He did very well when we dropped him off. He was smiling non-stop and making friends that sat at his table. Something tells me the teacher is going to have her hands full with him.

James could not wait for me to leave. I was taking lots of pictures and he'd had it.

I was full of tears when I left. Leaving Jacob was very hard. James I am used to, but Jacob is my sweet little helper. I went to work and told all of my preschool kids I was sad because my #2 is in school all day now. They didn't seem to care, but I am pretty sure the parents felt sorry for me :).

After my morning classes I went straight back to their school. It just so happened to be Jacob's lunch time and so I stopped in to see how he was doing. I asked him if he missed me. He said no. Then he told me that he wanted to play with Sam at recess (his girlfriend).

The first day was very successful for both of them. James as usual was uninterested in recounting what happened in his day. Jacob told us that he has a new girlfriend because one of the girls gave him three of her sillybands. However, he did not know her name and he did not care either :). He also told me that Kindergarten and first grade and second and third and fourth and fifth grade are going to be way too much work for him and he does not think he can do it. :)

Day 2: I dropped them both off at the door. I did not cry today, but had a little anxiety about whether or not Jacob made it to class! He is so confident walking through those doors with his brothers. BUT he is five years old and there are over 900 students alone in that school. I am just not ready for him to be that grown up. OF course he made it there just fine. When we picked them up at the end of the day he was VERY happy. He told me he like today better than yesterday and now he has three girlfriends. This boy is girl crazy I tell ya! He also told me that he gave one of his new friends his lucky penny!! He has such a big heart! I love that boy so much and I hope that school does not take that away from him. Now he spends more time at school than he does at home with me and that cannot help but break a mother's heart.

Jaelyn took a three hour nap today. The house was silent. Fortunately the Bachelor Pad Premier was 3 hours - ha!

The house is sound asleep this evening by 7:45. Maybe school is a good thing.

Jacob: Part 40,515

2011-08-05T13:07:00.003-07:00

Me: Jacob, do you want to play Soccer, Flag Football or Wrestling?
Jacob: Why do I have to do one of those?
Me: Because you need to exercise to stay healthy. If you stop playing video games and go outside and ride your bike, you don't have to play any sports.
Jacob: Fine, do I get a snow cone after my games?

(I still don't know which sport he wants to play)

And yesterday...
Jacob: I am hungry can I have these crackers?
Me: No, but you can have a banana.
Jacob: ERRRR (like the buzzer when someone answer wrong on a game show).

Jaely's Broken Fibula - The Full Story

2011-07-25T17:22:00.005-07:00

6Friday, July 22nd, 2011 was a very eventful day. This was the day that Jaelyn learned to climb out of her crib. She did it so gracefully. That evening we were school shopping for the boys at Kohls when she climbed out of the stroller type of cart and took off running. James naturally (because we always ask him to) went chasing after his sister. This occasion he tackled her to stop her from getting away. Probably not the first time that he has done this but the first time she screamed in agony instead of the typical cry, just enough to get him in trouble. She was immediately limping and was begging to be held. Next time we put her down she went straight to crawling. She was miserable. That is when we decided to take her to Goodnight Pediatrics, an Urgent Care facility for kids. At the time, I did not think much of it, but after leaving, going to sleep and waking up the next morning, I became more and more upset and what poor attention and care they gave to Jaelyn. (Side note- I will never go back there.) On Sunday evening after still not walking all weekend and wearing the poor splint that Goodnight Pediatrics put on her, I called her pediatricians office and spoke to the pediatrician on call. She informed me that breaks usually do not show up right away in children so she could have a break and they were not able to see it. She asked me to bring her in the following morning (Monday).

So here we are July 25th, 2011. The day went like this:

I woke at 6AM and began counting down the minutes until the alarm went off on my phone at 7:29 - the Dr. office starts taking calls at 7:30

7:29AM - I called the Dr. I am pretty sure I was their first phone call of the day. Her appointment was set for 8:20AM

Left the house at 7:37 - had forty minutes to get her to an appointment at an office one hour away - I did it in 45 - I was not going to miss this appointment I had waited ALL weekend for.

8:30AM - We saw Dr. Horlick, she reviewed the X-Rays taken from Friday night. She told me she believes there is a fracture in her Fibula. They scheduled us an appointment to see Dr. Domer at Arizona Orthopeadic Associates.

10AM - arrived back at home.

12PM left for her appointment at the Orthopeadic Doctor

12:45 - Exited off the Interstate to the Dr. office - Jaely fell asleep

12:50 - We arrived for our 1:15 appointment. I had to wake her up. We sat in the waiting room for over an hour.

2PM- We were finally seen by the Dr. I explained to them my weekend, Goodnight Pediatrics, calling the Pediatrician on call Sunday night, seeing the Pediatrician that morning, how Jaelyn has not walked. He reviewed the JPEG version of the X-Rays and confirmed they were not a very good quality of the image and it was hard to see anything. He explained to me that usually what happens is initial X-Rays are taken and the break does not show up. Then, the parents wait another week to bring their child back in and new X-Rays are taken. By then they could see where there was a break but the healing process has already begun. He watched her try to walk and felt around her leg. He could nor confirm or deny whether her leg was broken. He told me if it were him then he would put his daughter in a stroller for a week and see if she gets any better. That was the most horrible news I had heard all weekend. He apparently does not have the same active 20 month old that I have. Then, he went on to say that it would be easier for him to bring his daughter back in to cast her himself than for me to bring my daughter back in. He told me they could cast her if I wanted them to. I asked about the healing process. If it was broken, would it heal OK without a cast? He told me that it "probably" would and if it did not, it would "probably" fix itself later. "Probably" was not good enough for me. I told him I would feel more comfortable if she had a cast. I was pretty unhappy that I was given the choice. I would not have taken her to a professional, waited for over and hour to see him, if the option to put a cast on her and determine whether or not I thought her leg was broken was a decision that was up to me to make. BUT I was not walking out of there feeling like I did after I left Goodnight Pediatrics. My Pediatrician, whom I LOVE, told me she saw a fracture - I am going with her gut and mine and she is getting a cast.

The man who put the cast on her did an amazing job and was full of information!! She did not cry a wink. It was almost as if she was getting a massage. I was so proud of her. She picked the pink color with sparkles... OK I picked pink with sparkles. So far she isn't too terribly mad at me for having them put the cast on, but she is not very comfortable either.

Here she is below in her princess cast :).

I got the whole run down on her cast. It absolutely cannot get wet, but now CVS and Walgreens both make cast covers that she can bathe in. The most important thing is to make sure that she does not put anything down her cast. He made it clear that cast VS skin, cast wins. They are now made of fiberglass- not plaster like before. The inner material is all hypoallergenic and casts no longer itch. He told me to ignore anything that any of the older generation has to tell me about casts because it is no longer true - haha!

I don't think the boys have realized this yet, but she gets full access to the TV whenever she wants - here they are watching Blue's Clues with her :)

Jaelyn will have the cast on for about 3 1/2 weeks. She gets it removed on Friday, August 19th. Her VCUG procedure is schedule for August 16th. I guess she will be wearing her cast to the hospital that day - my poor baby girl!

Video of Jaely and her Hurt Foot

2011-07-23T00:44:00.002-07:00

Jaely Girl Cannot Walk

2011-07-23T00:25:00.000-07:00

Jae girl was tackled by a certain big brother and now cannot bear any weight on her left foot/ankle. X-Rays were taken but no break was found. They believe it may be sprained, but are not sure. They put a splint on it for the weekend and encouraged us to follow up on Monday.

Jaelyn Climbs Out of Her Crib

2011-07-22T14:57:00.005-07:00

Jaelyn figured out she can climb our of her crib now! What in the world are we going to do now?!

Jaely's Hair

2011-07-20T12:30:00.002-07:00

One of the hardest things about having a baby girl is having to brush and do her hair daily. I love every second of it but she does not quite love it as much as I do. However, occasionally she brings me a barrette and asks me to put it in her hair and she completely makes my day whenever she does this. She shows me where she wants it and then after I'm done she turns around and looks at me with the biggest grin in her face and the look of "mommy look how adorable I am".

Jacob: Part 40, 514

2011-07-13T07:20:00.002-07:00

Now I know why you guys won't let me stay in Montana. Because you will miss me too much.

Leaving Montana

2011-07-12T20:55:00.001-07:00

We just hit the road back to AZ. Jacob is in tears in the car. He is never good at Goodbyes. In the mist of his tears he said "I had fun Papa" and I just about lost it as well. Papa Doug was sad to see us go as well. Travis and Diesel waved farewell also but were happy to have their bed back too :).

Look What I Found!

2011-07-12T16:34:00.001-07:00

Jaely's Words

2011-07-08T15:33:00.033-07:00

I have always said that I hate 15-24 months more than any age as my children grow. They begin to learn their independence and think they can do everything themselves, already! However, they do not have the words to express their needs as much as they need to so things can quickly go from calm to frustration on both of our parts. However, this trip to Montana, Jaelyn and I have had lots of mommy and me time. She is a sponge and I have known that she understands EVERYTHING completely for some time now, but she did not have words to talk back. That is all changing. The sponge she has been absorbing everything in her path, is now coming out and words are beginning to form. She is in the stage where often only mom or dad can understand what she is saying, but I loving the new words she is forming and appreciating 20 months more than ever!

Words Jaelyn can say at 20 months old:
Uh-Oh
Daddy
(These were the first two words that began under one years old.)
Jacob (came before mama)
Mom (when she needs something)
Mama (when she wants me)
Poo poo (Also before mama)
Bye bye
Peek-a-Boo
Doggy
Horsey
Papa
No (The answer to any question even when its a yes)
Nana (Most often for banana, but sometimes Grandma)
Teeth (when she wants to brush her teeth)
Shoes
Socks
Outside
Cookie
Come on
Go
Tickle Tickle Tickle
Owie
Moon
Eat
All Done
Wahoo (when the kids play Mario - it is a sound effect of the game)
Hat
Door

Big Creek Trail

2011-07-06T21:31:00.014-07:00

We went on a beautiful hiking trip today in the Bitterroot Mountains. The trail was called Big Creek Trail. It was a 13 mile long trail, but we only hiked about a mile and a half. The kids loved it. It was nice and cool shaded by all of the trees. The river ran beside us the entire time. I carried Jaelyn for the first half and she walked the entire second half back to the car. The kids know nothing other than hiking in the desert so it was nice to take them on a hike similar to the ones Josh and I would take while we were growing up with running water and moist grounds. The air was so fresh and smelled of bright, green trees that we can only smell through a candle in desert. I hope we have an opportunity to go for another hike before we leave Montana.

Mom! Look what I caught!

2011-07-05T20:05:00.002-07:00

James named him Froggy. He cried when he had to let him go, but he wanted him to live and thought his family might be looking for him. He was very sad and wanted to keep him as a pet, but knew he had to do the right thing so Froggy would live.

Happy Fourth of July!

2011-07-04T13:06:00.001-07:00

Moving On Up

2011-06-30T06:55:00.002-07:00

James and Jacob both moved up from their current swim levels to the next yesterday!

Jacob has mastered all of the Octopus skills and is now and Lobster. His coach was going to move him up last month, but the Lobster class was full and she knew I had three kids in the water that would make it difficult to move things around. She has had him swimming all Lobster level stuff since then.

James graduated from the Lobster level to Hammerhead I for the second time. He graduated last year after completing swim team, but I put him back in Lobster after taking a year off of swimming so that he could get a refresher.

I'm excited that they will BOTH be on swim team next year!!

Marathon Training

2011-06-26T11:25:00.003-07:00

With the Marathon only 13 days away, I had my final long run today. I was supposed to run 20 miles. I was hoping to run 22. But with the long runs increasing like they have been, I did not anticipate the sheer exhaustion I would be experiencing. I did not run all weeks in hopes to rest, but now I know how useful those midweek short runs really are. It was a mental battle this morning that stopped me at just barely 8.5.

I feel ok with my distance. I know I'm ready for 26.2. I gave my new shoes the test run I needed to before the big race. they were like a glove. Not a single blister or other discomfort.

The run was beautiful. I ran down cotton lane to try to mimic Montana as much as possible. The desolate streets and houses few and far between with lots of beautiful land to keep me company.

I passed the corn fields. I was amazed at how tall they are up close and was grateful for the shade they provided. It literally felt 10 degrees cooler running between them and their irrigation canal. I felt as if I better get used to the bugs flying too.

I passed many dirt fields fertilized with manure. That took my mind off the run for a short period of time. My favorite part was waking up with the horses. No up and around but them and me. I thought about which of the kids I coach I could trade gymnastics for riding time :). It's in the works.

Because my run fell short, Josh came and picked me up 6.5 miles from home. It's time to taper now and enjoy running for the sheer joy of it. I will be in Montana in 6 days. I can't wait to put some miles on my new shoes there!

Jacob

2011-06-22T11:12:00.001-07:00

I Love Them!

2011-06-21T09:56:00.001-07:00

Jacob: Part 40,513

2011-06-20T06:59:00.001-07:00

After waking up too early and still being tired, "I can't walk. My feet are cranky."

Big Day For Jacob

2011-06-17T11:36:00.005-07:00

First we went to the eye Dr and got his eyes checked. They confirmed for us that he is in fact color blind. There is nothing that can be done. Teachers just need to be made aware so that they do not expect him to adapt and know that he cannot see the difference in colors. He experienced his eyes being dilated for the first time so he got to wear the glasses they gave him as we left. He was not very happy about it... he would not smile for me until I told him I was just going to use the picture to show him what he looked like... he did not realize that I meant on the blog in 10 years... not completely a lie.

It's also his Baptism Day! Family tradition calls for brownies on this special day as my mom always made them for us. The Baptism child gets to lick the bowl. He would not let me take a picture until I convinced him his face was not messy. OK, I did lie about that one. ;)

James Wrestling Practice

2011-06-16T20:00:00.001-07:00

Here is a video of James during his wrestling practice. He absolutely LOVES wrestling!! He is in the center of this video in the orange shirt. His wrestling partner left practice early so he had to wrestle on of the High School aged coaches. Hopefully I can get a video of him doing a wrestle off very soon! It is very fun to watch him doing something he cannot get enough of!

James

2011-06-15T11:07:00.003-07:00

Jacob: Part 40,512

2011-06-11T19:32:00.001-07:00

Me: Jacob you are going to have to eat your ice cream faster because it's going to melt.

Jacob: Why? The sun is way over there.

Jacob: Part 40,511

2011-06-09T12:26:00.001-07:00

"We are not cleaning. We are making a bigger mess because cleaning is too hard."

While watching a movie in the van on the way to Vegas, "oh, I forgot that the movie was on because I can't hear it!"

Jacob's Preschool Graduation

2011-05-19T20:43:00.001-07:00

Jaely Eats Her Cereal with a Bowl and Spoon

2011-05-16T09:00:00.000-07:00

Jacob... Part 40510

2011-05-09T14:32:00.001-07:00

Josh, "Did u know u were tired when u laid down in my bed?"
Jacob, "I wasn't tired! I didn't even close my eyes"
Josh, "really? Then what happened?"
Jacob, "I don't know! They just closed all by themselves"

James' Mother's Day Song

2011-05-06T20:14:00.005-07:00

Play of the Game!

2011-04-26T20:35:00.002-07:00

James caught a pop fly tonight, threw the ball to first and made a double play! It was the play of the game. The parents went crazy and so did his teammates. Ironically he had many friends from school on the opposing so they all got to see it too! It was a great catch. The ball was hit high and you could see him moving his feet to get himself under the ball with his glove in the air the entire time. Everyone was so proud of him and excited he got the final two outs to end the inning.

Happy Easter 2011!

2011-04-24T08:50:00.008-07:00

The boys and I colored Easter eggs on Holy Saturday while Josh took Jaelyn out of the house. I thought we better get it done before she climbs on the tables and spills the dye everywhere.

The end result...

Happy Easter! Bright and early. James came running in to say, "Daddy the Easter bunny brought Starburst Jelly Beans!", as he shoved one in Josh's sleeping mouth.

Jaelyn was happy to see the eggs. She knew what was in them and exactly how to open them.

I thought I better cut up some fruit and make toast with all the candy they downed before 7AM.

The Easter Bunny brought SORRY! The four of us played while Jaelyn ate her breakfast and watched us play.

It's going to be a long day with ALL this candy!! Thanks Easter Bunny!

Jacob's 5th Birthday Party at Hubbard Family Swim School

2011-04-10T09:45:00.000-07:00

James' Baseball Game

2011-04-05T18:00:00.004-07:00

James is playing coach pitch for the first year this year and loving baseball more than ever before!

Jacob Turns 5 Years Old!

2011-04-03T11:00:00.004-07:00

2011-03-27T12:22:00.001-07:00

"Jacob, when's the last time u brushed ur teeth?"
"ummm, the day after tomorrow"

Jacob's First T-Ball Game

2011-03-26T10:48:00.008-07:00

Jacob: Part 40,509

2011-03-14T20:09:00.002-07:00

Me: Jacob go wash your hands.
Jacob: My hands aren't dirty.

Jaely at Church Today!

2011-03-13T10:22:00.001-07:00

James' 7th Birthday

2011-03-10T20:31:00.001-07:00

I'm very late in posting this, but better late than never right?!

James' birthday celebration started at school with his teacher counting the candles on his hat out loud with the class. Every opportunity is a teaching opportunity.

Then he stood in front of the class while everyone sang to him.

We sang at home to him too.

The following Saturday he had a few friends join us to play some miniature golf and eat dairy queen Popsicle.

He made a hole in one - REALLY! Unbelievable!

He was so excited! Perfect for the birthday boy!

Graysen later helped us celebrate by going to dinner at Macayo's and spending the night. They had a great time!! And I believe James had a wonderful birthday!

Jaelyn's First Day of Swim!

2011-03-09T19:00:00.000-07:00

Jacob Learns to Ride His Bike!

2011-03-09T18:08:00.001-07:00

James Lost His 8th Tooth!

2011-03-05T20:30:00.001-07:00

We were at the Zoo for the Children's Hospital Kids Rock Race!!

Really?!

2011-03-02T14:09:00.001-07:00

We are 4/5 on antibiotics. Jacob still has double ear infections and James has an ear infection in his left ear. I have a sinus infection. Jaely's ears look like they cleared up but she will continue to take her prophylactics and we are keeping an eye on her. Josh is healthy for now...(knocking on wood).

Jacob: part 40,508

2011-02-24T17:03:00.001-07:00

How long until we get home? We are on our way to pick up daddy's car Jacob What if his car doesn't fit in here (the van)?

Jacob: Part 40507

2011-02-23T17:07:00.001-07:00

How do you spell USA? I already have the U and the S.

Sick Babies

2011-02-16T12:57:00.001-07:00

Two kids within one week, double ear infections.

Jacob: Part 40,506

2011-02-16T07:35:00.001-07:00

Jacob "Jaelyn and me are BFFs cuz we are best friends right now."

Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T11:42:00.001-07:00

"It is like trick or treating because you get a bunch of candy from all of your friends." -Jacob, 4 1/2 years old.

Crying

2011-02-04T17:16:00.001-07:00

The other day I told Jacob if he was really good when I dropped him off at the gym we would get lunch after. He said, "and I don't cry.". I said, "yes." He said,"But what if my brain makes my eyes water?!" I busted up laughing and he stared at me with the most serious face unsure as to why I was laughing.

Jacob Can Tie His Shoes (4 1/2 years old)!

2011-01-28T11:54:00.001-07:00

It's amazing the things younger siblings do to keep up with the older ones!

My Confident Child

2011-01-27T14:57:00.003-07:00

I dropped James off at school this morning at about 10 minutes before his first bell rang. The children cluttered the playground. Typically, James and I go through a normal morning routing of "Goodbye Mom" "Goodbye James." "I love you." "I love you too." In that order. It cannot be said in any other way, shape, form, or tone of voice. BUT today as James exited the vehicle he was too distracted to go through our morning ritual. Four or Five boys lined the fence calling his name and James could not get to the gate fast enough as they met him there to greet him.

He is the child I worry most about. He has a strange sense of style about him. Earlier this year he insisted on wearing shorts EVERY day. And not just any shorts, they had to be gym type shorts. He has three pairs he cycled through repeatedly. God forbid I did not do the laundry twice a week. With those gym shorts James would tuck whatever shirt he happened to wear with them into them so that the shorts then sat nicely on his hips with nothing in the way. Finally I was able to find a few pairs of pants he would wear. The other day while waiting in line to pick him up from school, two teenage boys passed by my car with skinny jeans on rolled up above their ankles. I giggled to myself, took a picture with my phone and sent it on to a few friends asking if this was the latest style. Then as I approached the front of the line James came running towards me - with his Jeans rolled up above his ankles like a movie from the 1950's... I was sure that a poodle skirt must be around somewhere.

I asked him why he was doing that and he said he got hot in PE. I question him with my intense fear and worry that he will be made fun of by his peers but as for now, he is confident in his own skin and clothes and does not care what anyone else thinks about him. AND he has many friends just the way he is.

Race Weekend

2011-01-17T18:22:00.009-07:00

We had an amazing weekend. Friday, I spent the day at the Phoenix PF Changs Rock N Roll Expo with two of my close friends, Kristen and Suzanne, who also ran on Sunday. We collected lots of free goodies and treats and other giveaways. We also road the light rail to the expo to save on parking. Little did we know parking was $50!!!! So I think we made the right decision.

Saturday was the KIDS ROCK marathon. Collectively the kids ran a total of 25.2 miles before Saturday and then they ran their final mile and crossed the finish line on Saturday to complete a full marathon. James' training started with tears, I can'ts, hates and regrets, and as training continued those negative feelings dimensioned one by one... finally three days before race day he was SOOOO excited and could not wait to run it!

Pre-race photos:

Cheering on James from the sidelines:

James' final stretch to the finish line:

As he ran by, he looked at me and smiled! Tears started pouring down my face, it was a very emotional experience for me to see his pride and sense of accomplishment!

I am so proud of him!!

Sunday, was the PF Changs Marathon and Half-Marathon. For the last 8 weeks Kristen and I trained together 5 days a week, missing only one or two days, but other than that we ALWAYS made time to train. We decided that on Race Day, we were going to stay together and encourage each other until the end to run the whole thing.

Our families, husbands, children, and Kristen's mom and step dad (who made a surprise visit) cheered us on in three different places along the course. It was amazing to see them on the sidelines and always lifted our spirits each time giving us another push.

Kristen is blowing kisses to our kids on the side!

I wore my "Team Diana" shirt around my neck during the race. Before she passed she really wanted to run the Seattle Marathon. A large group got together a month and half after her death to run it for her, but since I could not be there, I decided to run this race in her honor. It was a great privilege, and during the toughest times, I thought about her and with the shirt around me, I felt as if she was giving me a hug and carrying me to the finish line.

The kids waited so patiently for us to pass them.

They all lined up and gave the racers high-fives. James told me he counted 300. Along the course Kristen and I slapped each and every child's hand that we saw. Even veering off course of those out of reach, including one in their own back yard reaching through a fence.

The kids met us here, between mile 8 and 9. It was soooo great to see them!!! I cheered along with the kids as I ran by and Kristen said I love you to each and every one of them. It was so incredible to have them there cheering us on.

Running mile 10-13 was so hard. It was painful as our legs tightened and feet hurt, but we kept going. We slowed a few time, but never walked. That was our goal, to run the whole thing and we did it!! We even made my goal time which was 2 hours and 20 minutes. Kristen never imagined she could run so fast, but she was running so fast it was hard for me to keep up! We each how our weak and strong moments and I believe it helped us both get through to the end. We crossed the line holding hands, and then felt like we could not take another step. Walking to the family reunion area was tough! But after a few minutes of sitting we were feeling much better. Its a good thing too because our husbands decided to park at a nearby restaurant a mile away - LOL! It worked out perfectly though because parking any closer would have been a nightmare.

Suzanne met up with us at the end also, she is the one who got me to run my first 1/2 marathon in Denver - it is her inspiration (and another MOMS Club friend, Jen who also ran in Denver) that got me to train for this, allowing me to run further than I have ever run before and lost 22.4 pounds in the process (from October 18th to January 17th).

I have such a supportive family. James told me he was proud of me, Josh gave up watching the Seahawks playoff game and drove three kids getting them in and out of the car multiple time to cheer me on in different places. Seeing their faces at the end made all of the training and hard work worth it. Love you Josh, James, Jacob, and Jaelyn. Thank you for a great day!

Flagstaff, AZ

2011-01-02T07:42:00.010-07:00

We had the most amazing two days in Flagstaff, AZ with our, amazing friends, the Thompson Family. We headed on Thursday, Dec. 30th and spent all of Friday (New Years Eve) playing in below freezing temperatures. In fact, it was about 4 degrees for most of our playtime. The highest temperature was 11 and the lowest a VERY cold -2. Jaely wanted NOTHING to do with the cold no matter how bundled up she was. She was very content in her car seat for 4 hours with the car running and whichever child was currently warming their fingers, toes, ears and face. Our first adventure was through trees and over boulders. Mike and Josh made the most of it by using snow shovels, and sleds to build their path and create jumps over the rocks. It was very successful although not quite as fast as our second stop (our usual sledding spot) that we ventured to after taking a break for some lunch. The kids did great considering the frigid temperatures that we were given.

Kids getting ready for their first adventure.

Jaely's first time in the show.

Happy to be back inside.

Kristen and I right after I pushed her over in the snow. She is too good of a friend to get me back, although she did throw a little snow in my face.

Josh and I. We have not taken too many pictures of just the two of us since having kids. Love this one.

The Beautiful Thompson Family

Jacob = Superman

The Good Patient

2010-12-27T15:00:00.007-07:00

James sliced his knee open taking out the garbage. Jaelyn broke a plate the other day and we threw it away. Without thinking about it, I asked James if he would take out the garbage and as he did, the plate sliced through the plastic of the bag and through the skin below his right knee. He screamed for me and it was a different sort of cry that I did not really recognize. Soon after (less than five minutes), he told me he was fake crying… that really made me worry that he was no longer in pain. I rushed the four of us out the door (Josh was at work), dropped the two little ones off at a friend’s and took James to the nearest Urgent Care. He was so braved. I was very impressed. You could tell he did not want to cry in front of the Dr., the moment he left after numbing the area he let it all out. While we waited for the topical to set in, we talked about what he would tell people. We came up with a very cool skateboarding accident story we could brag about. It was numb before they began stitching and he watched the whole thing without a single tear. Daddy was there just in time with “Buzzy” his bumble bee pillow pet to begin the stitching. Four stitches later we were back at home. I am so proud of him for being so brave!