tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72892200329823438512024-03-04T23:55:34.070-05:00Beauty in the OrdinaryLesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03738825922565719318noreply@blogger.comBlogger1018125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7289220032982343851.post-83875367494624424082015-09-11T22:30:00.003-04:002015-09-11T22:30:30.438-04:00Girls Day with GrandmaIn late March, we went on a girls' date with Grandma. Vivienne and Evelyn were so excited that they waited by the front door for Grandma to arrive.<br />
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We started with some yummy pizza at Mellow Mushroom.<br />
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After pizza, we headed to the movies to see Cinderella. The girls have only been to the movies one time before this (to see the Lego Movie). They were enthralled by the movie, and by the enormous bowls of popcorn. Evelyn kept asking (very, <i>very </i>loudly), "What's HER name? What's HIS name? What SHE do?" At least it was a theater full of kids, so her voice wasn't too disruptive.<br />
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<br />Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03738825922565719318noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7289220032982343851.post-12409116613815626342015-09-11T22:12:00.002-04:002015-09-11T22:12:50.913-04:00Cowgirl DayOn this day back in March, Vivienne's preschool class dressed like cowboys and cowgirls. My mad braiding skills came in handy.<br />
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Vivienne adored Mrs. Medez, her assistant teacher, and Mrs. Patrick, her main teacher. What a great first year of preschool this was.<br />
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<br />Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03738825922565719318noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7289220032982343851.post-57911107386413100842015-09-11T22:06:00.002-04:002015-09-11T22:06:22.155-04:00Batgirl and Princess QuarterbackNo description necessary. Taken on the same winter afternoon. Hey, at least we actually had some clothes on around here...<br />
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<br />Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03738825922565719318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7289220032982343851.post-60538180550544628512015-09-11T22:03:00.002-04:002015-09-11T22:03:46.655-04:00February SnowWe got a <i>lot </i>of snow (for North Carolina) this past winter. The kids enjoyed crunching around in it, building snow men and drinking lots of hot chocolate with daddy home. Here are a few of my favorite photos.<br />
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Miles is adamantly opposed to having his photo taken with the family, so we were very lucky to get this selfie with all 5 of our faces in the frame. Sort of.<br />
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<br />Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03738825922565719318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7289220032982343851.post-29536962016390418442015-09-11T21:58:00.000-04:002015-09-11T21:58:11.024-04:00Catching UpLots of catching up to do here, so excuse the old posts. It sure is fun to look back, though, isn't it?Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03738825922565719318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7289220032982343851.post-69726541536282923782015-04-05T21:16:00.002-04:002015-04-05T21:16:41.171-04:00Homemade ValentinesThis was the first year that the kids had a class to share valentines with. Instead of buying pre-made valentines at the store, the kids decided that they wanted to make their own. Vivienne started by cutting out little hearts and adding faces to them (her idea).<br />
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Then she glued them to white index cards and wrote her name on them.<br />
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Miles decided he wanted to write "I love you. Miles" on each card. He hand wrote every single one. This was a pretty big deal for him, because we have been working on his grip and writing and fine motor skills with an occupational therapist for almost 6 months. For him to write this long was a pretty sizable accomplishment.<br />
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Our valentines didn't come with lollypops or super hero designs, but they sure came with a lot of love.Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03738825922565719318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7289220032982343851.post-70278695267158934942015-03-02T21:24:00.000-05:002015-03-02T21:24:00.507-05:00Christmas Break 2014While Christmas itself was a bit painful (literally), Christmas break was wonderful. Jason gets the week off from Christmas through New Year's, and we made the most of it. <br />
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We visited Marbles:<br />
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We went to the Museum of Life and Science:<br />
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We even took the kids on their first bowling adventure:<br />
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I would say that we made pretty good use of our week off with Daddy. <br />
Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03738825922565719318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7289220032982343851.post-24988631469089361732015-03-01T21:59:00.000-05:002015-03-01T21:59:03.681-05:00The Scariest Moment of My LifeI know that title might sound a little bit extreme, but this honestly was the scariest moment of my life (besides when my dad told me he had prostate cancer and I thought I heard him say he had pancreatic cancer... luckily that is all well behind us now).<br />
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In mid-January, I was sitting on Miles and Vivienne's floor reading a book to Vivienne. I was sitting right beside the bunk bed ladder. Evelyn was playing on the beds, which is not uncommon. As she was coming back down the ladder, she fell right on her head right beside my foot. She fell from about 4 feet off the ground, and she appeared to land directly on her head. <br />
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She immediately started screaming that blood-curdling "I'm very VERY hurt" scream that you only hear about once a year. I scooped her up, and she was thrashing around in my lap like an injured animal. She asked for her blanket and her bear, but then she just started saying "ow ow ow" over and over again. We tried to move her downstairs, but her wailing became so intense that we stopped in our bedroom and laid her on the bed. <br />
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This was when I got really scared. At this point, she stopped moving completely. She had her head turned to the right and she wouldn't even move her head. I could feel her moving her feet when I pressed them, but she was basically lying completely still and crying and moaning "ow ow ow" over and over.<br />
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Jason and I discussed whether this was a 911 type of moment, and I finally decided to go in the other room and call 911. My biggest fear was that she had some kind of neck injury and that we had disturbed it or made it worse by picking her up and moving her. The 911 operator asked me if I would like to have an ambulance (which I thought was odd, because I was calling her for her advice on whether we should get an ambulance?). She said that the EMTs would be there in a few minutes, to be sure the front door is unlocked and to wait for them. I texted my mom and one of my best friends, Pam, to let them know that Evelyn was hurt. <br />
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I stood on the front porch until the ambulance arrived. It only took a few minutes (which of course felt like years). The EMTs came upstairs and fairly immediately recognized that she had a broken clavicle. Upon hearing this, I fell into a puddle of tears, first with the "oh no" type of feeling and then with the "oh yay" (it's not a broken neck!) type of relieved tears. <br />
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Somewhere in all of this, Pam and her husband came into our room. They happened to be right down the street at a coffee shop on a date. She was at our house no more than 5 minutes after I texted her. I have told her that I will never, never forget that she came that night. In retrospect, I think God knew that we would need them, and he made sure that they picked someplace really close for their coffee date.<br />
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The EMTs gave Evelyn a shot of morphine in her left shoulder. She did not enjoy that, and kept on screaming. He said that it should put her to sleep and that they could move her once she went to sleep. She never fell asleep. She never stopped screaming. Jason had to carry her down the stairs to the gurney. <br />
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My dad walked in the front door as Jason was carrying her down. He was driving a new set of bunk beds to our house when this all happened (the irony is not lost on me). He didn't see the texts that I had sent him about what happened, so he was totally shocked to see Evelyn in that state.<br />
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The EMTs pushed Evelyn to the ambulance on the gurney. At that point, my mom arrived and Evelyn got to see Grandma for a moment. When I got into the ambulance with her, she just kept saying "I want Grandma!" So I ran back inside to retrieve Grandma and off to the hospital we went. As soon as the ambulance started moving, she finally stopped crying (thank you, morphine!). <br />
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After arriving at the hospital, Jason was able to find us. Evelyn had this dazed look from the morphine and just being overwhelmed by the entire experience.<br />
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Daddy held up his phone so that she could watch Umizoomi. <br />
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Here are what her x-rays looked like. It was a clean cut through the bone with the ends overlapping slightly.<br />
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The doctors at the hospital gave us a sling and asked us to try to immobilize her as much as possible (easier said than done!). We got a prescription for Tylenol 3 (with a little codeine), which came in very hand the next day. Here we are heading home in the van:<br />
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Evelyn was in pretty bad shape for a couple of days. The first day, she wouldn't even really walk at all. She was clearly in a lot of pain. Every time we picked her up or moved her, she would cry out. We quickly learned to pick her up by her bottom instead of by her armpits.<br />
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She spent a lot of time on the couch watching TV with her "entourage" (as Jason calls it - her set of about 20 babies and stuffed animals that she insists come down with her every morning). <br />
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It didn't take her long to fall asleep on the couch like this. <br />
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I got lots of extra snuggle time, but our girl couldn't keep her eyes open. She wore these pajamas for about 3 or 4 days, I think. <br />
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We were so humbled by the sense of community when this all happened. From meals to cookies to visitors with "get well soon" signs... we just received so much love. The first smile we saw since her accident was over a blue frosted cookie from our neighbors. <br />
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After a couple days, we visited the orthopaedic clinic. They did x-rays and said to come back in 6 weeks. It was a rough first few days, but she was back to her normal self in no time.<br />
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We go back for our final x-rays in just a few days.Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03738825922565719318noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7289220032982343851.post-11039681937995712682015-03-01T21:23:00.003-05:002015-03-01T21:29:58.188-05:00Christmas 2014Well, Christmas 2014 was a blur. I got very sick just a few days before Christmas. On Christmas Eve, I was so sick that I couldn't even get out of bed to set up the kids' presents and bake everything I had planned. I was so disappointed that Christmas wasn't going to include some of the special things that I had hoped for this year.<br />
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While I was asleep in bed in a nauseous stupor, Jason (without my asking or prompting whatsoever) took the recipes that I had left in the kitchen, went to the grocery store to buy everything and stayed up until well after midnight cooking. He also put out all of the children's Christmas gifts and set everything up. I woke up on Christmas morning to discover that he had assembled the breakfast strata (which involved things like roasting the mushrooms before adding them... not your basic strata) and baked french toast. I am so incredibly lucky to be married to such a dedicated and loving husband and daddy.<br />
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I don't have very much detailed memory of Christmas Day itself. Grandma and Grandad came over to celebrate with us, which is always a treat. We were able to eat a delicious meal on the back porch. I love North Carolina winters. The kids loved all of their toys. Miles got a plane that he can assemble and disassemble.<br />
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Vivienne got roller skates and a bike and some princesses.<br />
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I can't even remember what we got Evelyn, but she seemed happy enough. <br />
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I spent most of the day sleeping and feeling like this:<br />
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But Christmas was nonetheless a great day to celebrate our Savior and our family and focus on what's really important. I wish we could carry that into every other day of the year. In the spirit of that ideal: Merry Christmas, everybody!Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03738825922565719318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7289220032982343851.post-25249580126828943632014-12-15T21:58:00.000-05:002014-12-15T21:58:00.045-05:00Fairy Princess Patching<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This little fairy princess had her follow-up at the ophthalmologist a couple weeks ago. We will now be patching her right eye (her good eye) to get her left eye to work better. She is supposed to wear her patch for 2-4 hours per day for at least the next 3 months. Of course, Vivienne has been a total trooper about it and often wears her patch all day long because she likes it. Let's just say she does <b>not</b> have issues with compliance.<br />
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Cutest little fairy pirate I ever did see, if I do say so myself.Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03738825922565719318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7289220032982343851.post-15053571294071404572014-12-14T21:50:00.000-05:002014-12-14T21:50:12.342-05:00Boone Trip - Happy 8th Anniversary!We just got back from a weekend getaway to Boone, NC to celebrate our 8th anniversary (which was on December 10th). It was an awesome few days together without the kids (who were gleefully spending the weekend at their grandparents' house).<br />
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On our first evening there, we had dinner at the Hob Knob Farm Cafe. It's a farm-to-table restaurant in downtown Boone. After our meal we stopped for some groceries and wine and headed to our cabin in the mountains. After a long stretch of winding, steep roads, we arrived at our weekend home. It was a perfect little cabin with a gas fireplace and rustic decor. <br />
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It was so nice to be able to sleep in, even though the latest I slept was 8:30. I guess my body just can't sleep that late anymore. We got up on Saturday, made a big pot of coffee, ate breakfast and lounged around for a while. Then we headed down the Blue Ridge Parkway to Grandfather Mountain.<br />
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The drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway was gorgeous. Even in December, the drive has many incredibly beautiful views. The landscapes there are like something out of a fairy tale. There are tons of horses and cows and Christmas tree farms.<br />
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We arrived at Grandfather Mountain only to discover that all of the hiking trails were closed due to "snow and ice." The frustrating thing about this was that there wasn't much snow or ice. I guess they were being very, very cautious. Oh, well. <br />
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We just went a few miles down the road to the Tanawha trail. We hiked for 5.5 miles round trip to the Linn Cove Viaduct. The entire Tanawha trail is 13.5 miles long. It was a strenuous and technical hike, with many large rock staircases and large obstacles. It was exactly the kind of hike we love most and the views were incredible.<br />
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We could not have asked for better weather. Bright, blue cloudless sky, warm sun, hiking without coats in December in the mountains. We did hit some very light patches of snow, but certainly nothing worth closing a trail over. (Ahem.)<br />
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Jason had a hard time with his hiking boots and was very, very glad when were back at the car. <br />
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Saturday night, we had a great dinner at Vidalia in Boone. Then we headed back to our cabin again to "sleep in" until 8 am. Another big breakfast, and we said goodbye to the cabin. Before heading back to Cary, we wanted to sneak in one more hike. We decided to try Elk Knob State Park. <br />
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It was clear as we were parking the car that there would be a lot more snow on this hike. We started out with our coats on, but quickly tied the around our waists. This was a phenomenal hike. It was 1.9 miles to the summit (just under 4 miles round trip). We were hiking on a well established path through quiet, snowy woods. It was a moderate hike, much easier than Tanawha, but the views were spectacular. I would recommend this hike to anyone going to Boone.<br />
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On the way back down the mountain, we stopped to write each of the kids' names in the snow. They were delighted when we showed them these photos back home.<br />
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We've been married 8 years now. We moved 2000 miles. We bought a house. Jason has completed 4 Ironmans (with ridiculously good times) and countless marathons, including Boston. We had 3 beautiful kids (and two at one time even!). This is only the beginning. Love you, Jason.<br />
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<br />Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03738825922565719318noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7289220032982343851.post-76775589371921982572014-11-25T15:31:00.000-05:002014-11-25T15:31:00.079-05:00Occupational TherapyA couple months ago, Miles' preschool teacher mentioned to me that he had difficulty with holding his pencil. Even when he did grip his pencil correctly, he had difficulty applying enough pressure to get the pencil to write. She suggested we consider occupational therapy.<br />
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My first step was to take him to Project Enlightenment. A child psychologist did a full evaluation of him there, everything from vision to hearing to fine motor skills to social development to problem solving. The results of that were that he was doing fine in all areas.<br />
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After that, I took him to a private physical therapy office (that also does occupational therapy) for an evaluation. They determined that he does have a minor delay in fine motor skills, and that his delay is related to a deficiency in upper body and core strength. I was surprised to hear this, considering how much time we spend outside running and jumping and playing on playgrounds. This also spurred my memory of his pediatrician saying that he had "low tone" when he was about 6 months old. His therapist, Abby, said that this is probably related to that.<br />
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Now, once a week, we take him to therapy. He absolutely <b>loves</b> it. He gets to roll down the hall on their scooter board, play games and make crafts with Abby. She is a gem, and she says that he has already made lots of progress. <br />
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We need to spend more time doing wheelbarrows and crab walks and practicing with our pencils, but he has already made strides. Abby said that he probably would only need about 6-8 weeks of therapy, which would have us ending some time in January.Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03738825922565719318noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7289220032982343851.post-67168880539047486202014-11-24T15:25:00.001-05:002014-11-24T15:25:07.933-05:00Friendship FeastThe kids' preschool does a Friendship Feast for the 4-year-olds. Two classes get together near lunchtime, one class dressed as Native Americans and the other class dressed as pilgrims. They share a meal together. And it is STINKIN' ADORABLE. I seriously almost cried when Miles' class came in because they were so cute. Miles' feast was last Friday, and he dressed as a Native American. Vivienne's feast was today and she dressed as a pilgrim. Jason took time off of work to come watch both kids' feasts. I'm thankful that he has flexibility at work to attend events like these.<br />
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Vivienne's normal glasses are broken, so she is wearing her backups for now (which she does not like because they are slightly too big). She kept leaning her head forward to be sure her pilgrim hat didn't fall off, and that caused her to be looking over her glasses. I think she looked more like the Old Lady Who Lived in a Shoe than a pilgrim. She was adorable nonetheless.<br />
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Happy Thanksgiving!Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03738825922565719318noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7289220032982343851.post-19369259304262010902014-11-01T14:37:00.001-04:002014-11-01T14:37:18.153-04:00Halloween 2014<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The kids had been eagerly awaiting Halloween for about the last 12 months. About once a month, they would ask me when we would wear costumes and go trick-or-treating again. (I'm pretty sure I can thank the random Halloween episodes of Dora for that.) Last night, their dream finally came true. Miles decided he wanted to resurrect the space shuttle costume from last year (which made Mommy very happy). Vivienne had her heart set on being a "butterfly with orange and black wings". And Evelyn just had to settle for the free, hand-me-down adorable droopy ladybug costume. I must say that our crew was quite the cute little posse.<br />
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I'm pretty sure we were the first trick-or-treaters in our subdivision. The kids just could not wait another minute. After Grandma arrived to join in the fun with her cute orange pumpkin t-shirt, we headed out in broad daylight with our pumpkins (and Evelyn carried her fuzzy monkey from Easter). Our first stop was our next-door neighbors' house, and then we were off. The kids lasted quite a while, but after a while, Evelyn decided she wanted to ride in the stroller. Around 7:30, we came home with heavy pumpkins and tired legs.<br />
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After a couple pieces of candy, the kids quickly found their fake teeth and that's when things started to get a little hairy…<br />
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Already looking forward to Halloween 2015. Surely the space shuttle will not fit by then and Miles will have to choose another costume. Mars rover maybe?Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03738825922565719318noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7289220032982343851.post-60755992896539068592014-10-17T08:45:00.003-04:002014-10-26T14:06:27.673-04:00Our Little AmblyopeA few months ago, we took Vivienne for her routine yearly check-up at the pediatrician. During the visit, they do a simple vision test. I was waiting in the exam room with Miles while Vivienne did it, so I wasn't able to watch. The nurse came back with her and said that it seemed like she couldn't see very well with her left eye. The pediatrician said that it could just be a lack of compliance, or it could be an actual vision problem. With Vivienne, I was skeptical that it could be a lack of compliance (she follows directions very well). He suggested that we take her to a pediatric ophthalmologist to get it checked out.<br />
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We made an appointment with the ophthalmologist, but we had to wait over a month to get in. It was a special day for Vivienne and me. I took her lots of snacks and we had some good time one-on-one while Miles and Evelyn were at Grandma's house.<br />
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When we got into the exam room, the woman giving her the eye test said that she thought it was probably just an issue with compliance. Vivienne rocked the right-eye test. Then when she patched her right eye and asked her to identify the objects with her left eye, it was abundantly clear that she could not see well. She could barely read the first line. <br />
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After a series of these tests, including having her pupils dilated (Vivienne was such a trooper), we finally saw the actual ophthalmologist. She said that Vivienne has amblyopia. Her left eye is much weaker than her right eye. She will be wearing glasses until probably at least middle school, and it's highly likely that her vision will be 20/20 when all is said and done.<br />
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I think a lot of people have been surprised to find out that she has amblyopia, because this is often known as a "lazy eye" where one eye turns in or out (strabismic amblyopia). Vivienne's eyes are perfectly straight and always have been. She has refractive amblyopia. With time, her eyes and brain will learn to process images correctly with her left eye.<br />
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This week her glasses finally came in. Unfortunately, she wasn't feeling very well the day we went to pick them up, so she wasn't as excited as I thought she would be. But she sure looks adorable in them, and she has been a champ wearing them all day every day without a single complaint.Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03738825922565719318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7289220032982343851.post-53323904350170102732014-10-16T09:07:00.000-04:002014-10-16T09:07:18.311-04:00Last Beach Trip of 2014In mid-September, we took our last beach trip of the year. Our time at the beach is cherished, and we look forward to this all year.<br />
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This trip had a new twist. We had to take Miles and Vivienne out of preschool. Of course, that was really no big deal, but it was kind of surreal to have to tell their teachers that they would be missing a week (how can they be this big already?). <br />
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Grandma and Grandpa drove down from Indiana to join us on this trip. It makes our beach time even more precious to spend it with grandparents.<br />
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We made our usual lunch stop on the way to the beach (Smithfield's barbecue), and then arrived around 4. The kids couldn't wait to hit the sand and surf (though the surf here is typically very mild). <br />
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During our previous trip at the beginning of the summer, Evelyn wanted nothing to do with the water. She would weep if even a drop of ocean water touched feet. This trip was completely different. From the very first night, she wanted to be in the water. Her fears had completely dissolved. <br />
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The big kids were also more fearless than ever on this trip. They wanted us to carry them out past the break so that they could float up and down with the waves. I wish we had brought their puddle jumpers, because they would have loved to float on their own (with us beside them, of course). They both also loved the boogie boards, but Miles was especially enamored with the idea of surfing.<br />
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Of course, there was also plenty of time spent digging, running, jumping and drawing in the sand. All of the kids love the sand, and Jason and I don't mind getting dirty with them. How could you say no?<br />
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And just for good measure, for every beautiful photo we get, there is usually a gem like this tucked away.<br />
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This year, we also celebrated Jason's birthday at the beach. Lila got him a cake, and the kids enthusiastically helped with the candles and singing. Happy birthday, Jason!<br />
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Every few days, the kids will ask, "How many days before we go back to the beach?" Unfortunately that's a pretty high number right now. Next year, we will probably have to go down to one beach trip, because they may be starting kindergarten on a traditional school calendar in 2015. Once school starts, we will be limited to only going during high season, and I don't know if we'll be able to swing that more than once a summer. Regardless, we will always find a way to go to our beach.<br />
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<br />Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03738825922565719318noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7289220032982343851.post-25613081285174049832014-09-08T20:34:00.004-04:002014-09-08T20:34:47.111-04:00Miles and Vivienne's First Soccer PracticeOn Saturday morning, we went to Miles and Vivienne's first soccer practice. We will be cheering on the Panthers for the next couple of months. I'm pretty sure the MVPs on the team are #4 and #6, but I could be wrong. At least they are clearly the MCPs (Most Cute Players).<br />
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They started practice by learning to kick to one another.<br />
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And learning to stop the ball with their feet.<br />
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And looking ridiculously cute in their jerseys.<br />
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Their little sister was content to sit on the sidelines with her apple and sweat like crazy (have I ever mentioned that this child sweats more than any kid I have ever seen?).<br />
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Vivienne wanted two braids for the occasion.<br />
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They also learned to dribble, of course. <br />
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The last half of the practice was a scrimmage game. Vivienne was <b>not</b> a fan of the game portion of the practice. Miles eventually caught on, but the parents spent most of our time yelling things like "Wrong way!" and "Turn around!" and "Other goal!"<br />
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At this point, I guess we should just be proud of them for not picking up the ball and throwing it to each other. <br />
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<br />Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03738825922565719318noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7289220032982343851.post-53309177096450008602014-09-04T11:56:00.000-04:002014-09-04T11:56:00.446-04:00What About BOB?I'm glad you asked. Well, maybe I'm not. As of last week, we are no longer the proud owners of the world's best stroller, the BOB Duallie. I seriously <b>loved</b> that stroller. We had it for nearly 4 years and got tons of use out of it. I used to run with Miles and Vivienne almost every day, around 6 miles a day before I got pregnant with Evelyn. It helped us stroll at the zoo, museums, even in a 5k (the day I found out I was pregnant with Evelyn). <br />
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Recently, it had become a source of frustration for the kids, fighting over who got to sit in the extra seat (because Evelyn always got a seat). With Miles and Vivienne being 4 now, they are certainly old enough to walk on their own when we are out and about. So it seemed clear that it was time to say goodbye to BOB.<br />
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Someone came and picked it up when I was away from the house. When I got home and Jason told me that BOB was gone, I almost cried. I actually almost cried over a stroller, which seems completely ridiculous, I know.<br />
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BOB, you were the stroller love of my life. There will never be another. I am forever changed.<br />
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Farewell, my friend. Farewell.Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03738825922565719318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7289220032982343851.post-57289543213455971602014-09-03T08:20:00.003-04:002014-09-03T08:20:54.787-04:00First Day of Preschool<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I don't quite know how it happened. But somehow, my little 6 and 6.5-pound babies started preschool last week. Their first day was really more of a half-day "meet the teacher" experience. <br />
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They were excited and a little bit nervous about going. But I think they are going to love their teachers, Mrs. M (Miles) and Mrs. P (Vivienne). <br />
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It was a staggered morning, with Miles at school for the first half and Vivienne at school for the second half. Waiting in line to meet his teacher, Miles seemed a bit shy and nervous.<br />
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But when I dropped him at the door to meet Mrs. M, he walked right in with his "special bag" (they give each child their own bag to be responsible for). While Miles was enjoying meeting his new friends, I took the girls to get a biscuit, which is a very rare treat.<br />
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Then we went back to pick up Miles and drop Vivienne.<br />
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Last week was their first full week of school, and it went very well. Miles had a little bit of a harder adjustment, but settled in just fine. <br />
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On their first full day of school (last Monday), I held it together when I dropped them off, but I cried on the walk back to the car. I miss them, but is is nice to have 3 days a week with just Evelyn. I have never had one child before, and I really enjoy it.<br />
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By the end of the first week, Vivienne is holding a pencil properly and writing her name on her own. <br />
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(Grandpa, I hope you are ready to receive this lovely picture of a hairy bug… or something.)<br />
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I had hemmed and hawed about whether to send them to preschool this year. I'm so glad that I did. I think they are ready for preschool at this age, and this will be excellent preparation for kindergarten next year. According to the school age cutoffs, they should be going to kindergarten next year, but they will also be youngest in their class (because of their birthday). I'm so thankful that their preschool teachers will be able to help us assess whether to send them to kindergarten in 2015 or whether to wait another year to give them more time.Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03738825922565719318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7289220032982343851.post-68914737851919490372014-08-21T15:23:00.002-04:002014-08-21T15:23:42.811-04:00Evelyn Turns TwoSomehow my sweet little baby is now a flurry of 2-year-old energy and <strike>defiance</strike> independence. Her birthday was celebrated on July 18th, 3 days after Miles' and Vivienne's celebration. I made her some homemade cupcakes with purple frosting, because she seems to have an affinity for purple.<br />
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Evelyn is full of personality and vibrance. She is sweet and stubborn and independent (almost <i>too</i> independent) and beautiful and loving and snuggly and rough and tumble. <br />
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She loves to chat about all kinds of things. She is much more often speaking in sentences instead of gibberish. Her sentences are becoming much more sophisticated. Yesterday, she said "Open the garage door. Miles and Vivienne ride their bikes." Her pronunciation isn't great, but she forms her sentences very well.<br />
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Evelyn loves to count now, though her accuracy leaves a little to be desired. She sometimes skips right over 1, 2, 3 and 4 and will jump right into 5, 6, 7 and so on. She also likes to count down (probably due to watching so many shuttle launches with Miles). <br />
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She goes to the gym childcare most days for an hour or two and really seems to love it. She gets along with other children very well. She is fairly outgoing, though she can be a little shy or apprehensive when she first meets someone (or if she is put on the spot). <br />
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Evelyn has absolutely no real interest in potty training. That's a little frustrating, because I would love to be finished with diapers, but I'm not going to rush her. She will be ready when she's ready. (I may not be saying that if she still has no interest when she turns three!)<br />
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Evelyn is exposed to so many more things than Miles and Vivienne were at this age. She has been to Marbles and the Museum of Life & Science (and the Natural Science Museum downtown) countless times. She is always at the playground or the swimming pool or playing with friends. When Miles and Vivienne were two, I would not take them to the pool on my own, because it was simply too hard to watch them both, but I take all three kids on my own very frequently now (we actually just got back from our neighborhood pool). <br />
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I'm looking forward to having more one-on-one time with Evelyn this upcoming year when Miles and Vivienne start preschool (more on that later).<br />
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Happy birthday, sweet baby! I guess I'm officially a "big kid only" mom now.Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03738825922565719318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7289220032982343851.post-22766533328176902022014-07-28T09:41:00.006-04:002014-07-28T09:41:57.699-04:00First Movie in a TheaterA couple weekends ago (on the kids' birthday weekend), Mom, Dad, Jason and I took the kids to their very first movie in a theater. The cheap theater was playing the Lego movie, so we decided to give it a try. For $15, all seven of us were able to see the matinee. The kids loved it. Miles was especially enamored with it, but Vivienne and Evelyn enjoyed it as well. The girls got a little squirmy toward the end, but we actually made it through the entire movie with all of us in the theater. It was a great way to spend a gloomy afternoon.Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03738825922565719318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7289220032982343851.post-75456432984778894702014-07-24T08:14:00.000-04:002014-07-24T08:14:00.471-04:00Walkie Talkies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I just love this photo of him, playing with walkie talkies with his sister on the playground. All smiles and big blue eyes. I love this boy.Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03738825922565719318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7289220032982343851.post-45599554334029225202014-07-23T08:27:00.002-04:002014-07-23T08:27:32.957-04:00Miles and Vivienne's BirthdayLast Friday was Miles and Vivienne's birthday, so we celebrated in style when Daddy got home from work. Grandma and Grandad also came over, and then we headed to Mellow Mushroom for some pizza. We virtually <b>never</b> take the kids out to restaurants that involve a wait staff (and don't involve chicken nuggets), so this was a real treat for them.<br />
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We were lucky that they had a guy there making balloon animals. The kids had never really seen this before, and they were highly entertained by it. Vivienne chose a pink monkey and Miles got a gray elephant. Evelyn was delighted with her pink frog.<br />
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After pizza (and an epic meltdown from Miles), we went back home to open gifts and enjoy some cake and ice cream. Luckily Miles calmed down as soon as he realized we would be opening presents. They both really enjoyed opening all of their presents. <br />
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Vivienne's favorites were probably her Elsa cape (from the movie Frozen). She has been running around the house dragging a blanket behind her, pretending to have a train on her dress. Now she has something just like the movie.<br />
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Miles' favorites seem to be his Imaginext dinosaurs. He has really been loving playing with the app on my iPhone, so I knew he would love the dinosaurs in real life.<br />
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After presents, we had the cake and ice cream. Miles requested an airplane cake, and Viv requested an Elsa cake. I spent hours that week baking and icing these. The cakes are a lot of work, but I really enjoy it. <br />
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At the end of the day, we had a couple very happy, well celebrated kids. I can't believe my sweet, tiny babies are now 4 years old. They will be starting preschool next month. I am thankful for each day I have with them. Happy birthday, Miles and Vivi!<br />
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(We have one more celebration with friends tomorrow, because certainly ONE birthday celebration is just not enough!)Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03738825922565719318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7289220032982343851.post-48816649050835633422014-07-22T20:42:00.000-04:002014-07-22T20:42:00.511-04:00Hot Date<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We actually go on dates every now and then. And we clean up pretty well! :)Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03738825922565719318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7289220032982343851.post-79263447436537045752014-07-20T20:14:00.000-04:002014-07-20T20:14:00.375-04:00Grandma and Grandpa VisitGrandma and Grandpa (Fox) came to visit us a couple weeks ago. We were lucky to have great weather while Lila and Keith were here, so we spent much of our time outdoors. We went swimming, picked blueberries, rode bikes and made a trip to our favorite local museum in Durham. We have visited this museum many, many times before, but it had been a while since we had been there, so it was somewhat fresh and new for the kids again.<br />
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The first stop was the fort and caboose outside. Miles and Vivienne never tire of climbing through that caboose.<br />
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We also rode the train. I can't believe my big girl can ride in her own seat now. How did that happen?<br />
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Miles snuggled up with Grandpa for his ride around the tracks.<br />
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And Evelyn sat next to her Grandma.<br />
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We also made our way out to the boats, Miles' favorite part of the museum right now. They have smaller and larger sail boats, and he loves steering them around on the little pond.<br />
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We also spent some time indoors, which is unusual. The kids explored some areas that have previously gone unnoticed. We learned about lift (my personal favorite). The kids could put shapes and cups into these vertical wind tunnels to watch them float up to the ceiling and shoot out the sides.<br />
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We learned about orbits and rotation and momentum.<br />
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It was just a really fun day with their grandparents. They also got their birthday gifts from Grandma and Grandpa on this visit, so that was a lot of fun. <br />
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We are so blessed to have them make the trek from Indiana to see us a few times a year, and the kids literally count the days until their arrival. They are already counting the days until their next visit, when we will go to the beach together. Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03738825922565719318noreply@blogger.com0