Well today was Christmas day. I got to bed around 2:30am this morning. Around 5am we heard Squeeks up. Of course it was the one day she decided to come out of her room. I found her standing, staring, pointing, and gasping at the sight of the presents under the tree. It was very hard to get her to go back to sleep and wait until morning but after 30min and a stern "No opening presents till you sleep some more" she finally went back to bed. I slept on the couch just in case she decided to come back out.
Around 8ish I heard Mo and Bubba up. I laid on the couch half asleep listening to Bubba wanting to wake us up and open presents. Mo insisted that there was no point in waking us up before she got the empty trash bag, Squeeks was up, and the camera was out and ready....This all took place just before 9am and we started opening presents. A month or so ago I sent out an e-mail practically begging people to stick to the lists we had made. I have been so sick of throwing away cheap toys and donating the ones they don't play with (cause they never really wanted them in the first place). So this year it was very exciting to sit and watch as the kids got many of the toys on their lists, some that while not on the list, were exactly what the kids would like as well. Each child got their #1 item: American Girl dolls for the girls and a skateboard for Bubba. We saved those presents for them to open last, then sat them all on the couch so that we could record them while they opened their gifts. After opening presents at home, a bit of cleaning & playing, we headed off to Mimi & Papaw's. We are an early dinner and then opened gifts. Once again receiving many gifts off the specified lists. Everyone loved each and every one of their gifts. This is the first Christmas that all gifts were liked and that no one received clothing that was too small. There are a couple clothing items too large but they will fit at some point so it isn't a big deal. What an awesome Christmas this was. We got great joy out of seeing our children receive the gifts they truly wanted and will enjoy.
This evening we went to a party at a friend's house. There was a poop disaster before we left so dad stayed home due to his frustration. When we returned he was still pretty down. Living away from Oregon is really getting to him. We have not been home for a vacation in almost three years. We are both really homesick and missing our true friends. You would think that after almost 5 years here that we would have built a good core group of friends but we just haven't. Friends have come and then faded away but none have proved to be true lasting "go through life with you" friendships. We long so much to be back with our group of friends in Oregon. Many things have changed in all our lives but regardless, those friends that we have there are like family to us and we know that our friendships would be the same if we were to return.
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Monday, December 24, 2012
Christmas Eve
Well, here it is, Christmas Eve. I have longed for this day and dreaded this day. You see, this was my deadline. All the crafts must be finished, house must be clean, hopefully a couple treats made and all the gifts wrapped. Well, in just over an hour I need to pick up a child from a friends' house and head off to the Christmas eve service at church, one of which I will attend, and one which I will teach preschoolers. I have come to the conclusion that with only an hour left, I need to spend it getting myself, Bubba and Squeeks ready, as well as dinner. That being said, my house will not be clean for Christmas and the pictures will all be shot in just the living room with careful placement as to not get the messy dining room or kitchen in the background. We will not be having many goodies except for the ones I made and ruined this morning or leftovers from the ones I delivered to Phil at work. Hopefully I will get the crafting finished tonight and of course the few randoms gifts needing wrapped will be finished.
All that being said, normally I would be freaking out and stressing over all that still "needs" done. Instead, I have realized that none of those things truly matter. My kids will not remember if our home was picked up and spotless each and every Christmas. My children will not care if mommy made really fun and exciting goodies every year. Will they even remember the many crafts I have spend countless hours on? Maybe, maybe not. Will these things make a difference as to if they remember this as a good Christmas or not? I don't think so. We have done a good job at teaching our children the true meaning of Christmas. They know that this is Jesus' birthday and that we only give gifts to symbolize the greatest gift that God has given to us. They know the Christmas story very well. No matter what small things seem to tarnish the holidays, the children just remember a time of spending time with family and at church.
While I would love to have the "ideal" Christmas each and every year, I know that is not possible. This year our Christmas is not ideal at all. However, what Mary endured so many years ago was not ideal either. She sure didn't bring that tiny baby into an environment that was what most would have wanted for their baby. However, it was good and perfect just as God had planned it. I know that even though my life lately has been crazy and tiring, it is still just as God has it planned. It is good and perfect. I know that this crazy time in life will be just a moment in time and that it will all seem to work itself out soon.
All that being said, normally I would be freaking out and stressing over all that still "needs" done. Instead, I have realized that none of those things truly matter. My kids will not remember if our home was picked up and spotless each and every Christmas. My children will not care if mommy made really fun and exciting goodies every year. Will they even remember the many crafts I have spend countless hours on? Maybe, maybe not. Will these things make a difference as to if they remember this as a good Christmas or not? I don't think so. We have done a good job at teaching our children the true meaning of Christmas. They know that this is Jesus' birthday and that we only give gifts to symbolize the greatest gift that God has given to us. They know the Christmas story very well. No matter what small things seem to tarnish the holidays, the children just remember a time of spending time with family and at church.
While I would love to have the "ideal" Christmas each and every year, I know that is not possible. This year our Christmas is not ideal at all. However, what Mary endured so many years ago was not ideal either. She sure didn't bring that tiny baby into an environment that was what most would have wanted for their baby. However, it was good and perfect just as God had planned it. I know that even though my life lately has been crazy and tiring, it is still just as God has it planned. It is good and perfect. I know that this crazy time in life will be just a moment in time and that it will all seem to work itself out soon.
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Swimming & Santa
Today we went swimming for about 90 minutes. The kids had a blast diving for rings, floating on noodles and chasing after a ball. The last ten minutes we spent at the diving board. Squeeks had a blast! She went off it at least 5 times, maybe 8 or 9! She thought it was so fun.
Then tonight we went to McDonald's for family fun night since Santa was there. The older two only sat on his lap just so they could get a free toy. Both say they don't believe in Santa anymore. Although some days Bubba will change his mind and say that in fact he does believe. We thought Squeeks may be scared of him but she wasn't. Guess maybe she knew who he was since we have watched many Christmas movies recently. Can't wait for the Y Christmas party in the morning so that she can see Santa again.
Then tonight we went to McDonald's for family fun night since Santa was there. The older two only sat on his lap just so they could get a free toy. Both say they don't believe in Santa anymore. Although some days Bubba will change his mind and say that in fact he does believe. We thought Squeeks may be scared of him but she wasn't. Guess maybe she knew who he was since we have watched many Christmas movies recently. Can't wait for the Y Christmas party in the morning so that she can see Santa again.
A letter to my husband
I normally wouldn't want to publicize a personal letter to my husband but I feel that tonight it is one to remember. It is one that will shed light on how it is to be a stay at home mom during the rough times. There is no sugar coating. It is real. It is raw. It is life.
You spend the night at work. At 8am you get woken up by a driver calling you and yelling at you. It's frustrating to have people demanding you to be wide awake when all you want is a few minutes of quiet to properly wake up. You get this particular situation handled just to have another one arise. Two hours after waking you are finally able to get something to eat but not anything nurishing because you have been too busy caring for others needs and don't have much time to take care of your own. After a few hours the phones finally quiet down and you think that you can finally have some time to answer emails, and work on other things that didn't need an immediate response. Just when you get into the groove and are accomplishing something, the phone rings, then rings again, then rings again. There is no one to help you. You are it. You have to decide what order things need done and what things can be pushed aside till someone is there to help you. Finally at 4:30pm help arrives. You have been so busy, tired and frustrated. It is wonderful to see someone walk in the door, not only for the relief you know they will bring but also for someone to talk to cause you have handled many stresses throughout the day. But just when you feel the weight lifted off your shoulders, Jim leaves to work on QualCom. You are frustrated but know that what he is doing is important as well so you try to ignore your frustration. When he comes back a couple hours later, you ask him for help. Not cause you can't do it yourself but because you are exhausted, need quiet, and just need a few moments to yourself. You step outside knowing that he will handle things for you. You return a few minutes later to find that in fact he has not taken care of the things you asked, but instead is playing around on his phone. So you get back to work, take care of things and go on with your day. Later on you again ask for help. Once again Jim ignores your request and does what he wants rather than help you. Finally around 8pm the office is quiet. While there is work to be done, you decide that you deserve some time to relax. After 20min of relaxing you remember that you have some things to prepare for a company party coming up. It is time to get back to work, but on different things. Even though you are tired and want to go to bed, you know that it is necessary to do these things so you do it and are just happy to at least not have to deal with the phones. After a few hours the phone rings. Jim is not there cause he was tired too and went for a break. So you must stop what you are doing and take care of the important phone call. Thirty minutes later, the problem is solved and you again can have your alone time. Since it is now after 1am you decide that you must call it a day because you know that this day, while a bit different, will start all over again in 6 hours.
I hope that this will help you to realize how I feel. I love my job, just as you love yours. But my job does not give me breaks, coworkers to help me, set hours that I don't have to be at work, or sick time off. I don't have time away from my "clients". I don't even get a paycheck for my long exhausting hours of work. I am extremely thankful that you let me stay home and raise our children. The rewards for our family are amazing. But right now I am just going through an extremely rough time as a stay at home mom. The ages that our children are is really tough. It is tough to do what I need to do and also take care of a rambunctious two year old. I need help. I need support. I need to feel appreciated. I need you to acknowledge what I do, how hard it is, and to be there for me in the evenings. I don't need you to be distant, playing on your phone, or ignoring what I ask you to do. I love that you love playing with our kids. But when I have asked for you to start putting them to bed is not the time to get them wound up. I would greatly appreciate if you could learn to see my needs and help meet them. If I ask for you to do something, then that is a direct clue that I NEED it done. Please try harder to do these things, not cause you don't want to get in trouble but because you love me and know that I need your help. By you meeting these needs and doing what I ask, I feel appreciated and loved. I feel like you care.
I am sorry I have been so busy working on Christmas stuff and that I am frustrated almost every day when you get home. I don't like these things any more than you do. I truly hope that I can regain control over the craziness of life but at this moment it seems near impossible. Please just bear with me through this, support me and love me.
Imagine this:
Monday, December 17, 2012
Thankfulness
On Friday 20 six and seven year olds were shot while they were at school. It is such a tragic event but one that our country is seeing happen more and more frequently. In the last couple days I have seen posts on Facebook of people who have pulled their kids out of school, and others who are crying as they drop their kids off at school today. I am thankful for our lifestyle each and every day but today really just brings out how thankful I am. I am so thankful that a few years ago we had a major lifestyle change. While we are never sure where a tragic event may happen, I am thankful that we changed our lifestyle. Most of the shootings lately have been in malls, schools, and theaters. While you never know where a bad event may happen, I feel safer knowing that we just don't frequent places such as these. I am so thankful that I have a loving and supportive husband who understands my need to homeschool and supports every aspect of that. I am thankful for each and every moment I have with my children whether good or bad. I am thankful for being able to control my children's environment and to know who they are with and what they are subjected to. I am thankful that my children can pray and talk about God in their school. I am thankful that my children are free to be who they are and not be forced to sit at a desk. I am thankful that my children have friends of all ages and have the opportunity to communicate with people of all ages, not just peers their own age. I am thankful for all the flexibility that homeschooling offers.
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Week in review
Well, this last week has been interesting. Squeeks doesn't want to take naps anymore. I do put her in her room at least an hour a day but she just uses that time to destroy her room. The rest of the day she terrorizes the house. I feel like all I do is run around putting her in time out, making her clean messes, clean messes myself, do regular household chores, take her off counters and other things she has climbed on, and so on. Every single day I am exhausted but have nothing to show for it. Thank goodness for great computer games that I can use to teach the older kids, because doing book work has been impossible with Squeeks around. Thank goodness this is just a stage! While it is a very annoying stage, it is also an incredibly adorable stage. She is coming up with new words and things every single day. She is using the potty like 40 times a day it seems. She is saying 3-4 word sentences such as "I wan sit there" or "I wan go pawee" I just love to hear the new things coming from that adorably cute little voice. And oh the new things she can do! Such as: Pushing chairs around so she can climb on anything she wants, using step stools, trying to pour her cup into her sister's, pouring water out of the bathtub, stealing other's food, taking her clothes off, attempting to put her clothes back on, and so on.
This week we started going back to the Y. It is so incredibly important for the kids to be in the pool and I am so sorry that I have gotten away from that these last few months. It sure feels good to be back there, if only that it is a couple hours I don't have to be picking up messes! Squeeks is a swimming fool! She loves that pool even more than the other two did at this age. Mo of course loved being back in and just took off to the other end of the pool. Although at first she forgot that you only need to take the swim test once each day. So she would do the test, go jump off the diving board, swim back and say "I'm taking the test" and do it again. Since Tara (the lifeguard) and I were talking and not paying attention, it took like 5 or 6 swim tests before we realized what she was doing. It was pretty funny. Bubba just has a thing with the Y pool. He can swim across any other pool but not the Y one. I think it is a mental block just cause he has been in that pool since he was a baby and has the mentality of "I can't go in the deep end." The first day he tried and tried. Every single time he would stop and grab the wall. Sometimes 5ft off the wall cause he needed to talk or ask Tara a question. Other times it was at the half way mark. We tried everything we could to get him to swim the whole pool. Even told him if he went half way and then back without touching the wall that it would be the same and he could then go off the diving board. Even that didn't work. When it was time to go, he was distraught. He was crying, mad, and didn't want to get dressed to leave. I promised we would be back the next day to try again. The next day a good friend, swim teacher and swim coach was the lifeguard. Bubba was having the same problem. Some of it was loss of stamina from a few months away from the pool but mostly it was confidence. Seeing that, Keith gave him a 1 bubble belt. The belt didn't really do much for him except build the confidence. He swam the pool right away, and went off the diving board. In order to go again, he had to go without the belt. He still "couldn't" go the whole way so he did half way and back. He was so happy to be going off the diving board!
On Wednesday the kids had a performance at AU music class. It was very cute. Bubba danced and sang, Mo played the malletts. They were very proud of it and excited that dad took his lunch break at that time so he could come watch.
Mo also had her first Occupational Therapy appointment. Of course it went well and she had a blast.
Then we all got sick....A stomach bug consumed us all. Thank goodness it was just a quick 24-36hr thing but as I type Daddy still isn't feeling well. He is on day two and appears to be getting worse, not better. At least everyone is healthy again and Mo didn't miss seeing the Nutcracker. Mimi took her to see it today and since it was her first time, it was a huge deal to her. So thankful she didn't have to miss it! She got a new outfit from Grandma P. to wear, and went through mommy's jewelry boxes to find matching jewelry. She ended up with Grandma R's clip on earrings & brooch for her hair, and mommy's necklace. She felt super special and beautiful!
This week we started going back to the Y. It is so incredibly important for the kids to be in the pool and I am so sorry that I have gotten away from that these last few months. It sure feels good to be back there, if only that it is a couple hours I don't have to be picking up messes! Squeeks is a swimming fool! She loves that pool even more than the other two did at this age. Mo of course loved being back in and just took off to the other end of the pool. Although at first she forgot that you only need to take the swim test once each day. So she would do the test, go jump off the diving board, swim back and say "I'm taking the test" and do it again. Since Tara (the lifeguard) and I were talking and not paying attention, it took like 5 or 6 swim tests before we realized what she was doing. It was pretty funny. Bubba just has a thing with the Y pool. He can swim across any other pool but not the Y one. I think it is a mental block just cause he has been in that pool since he was a baby and has the mentality of "I can't go in the deep end." The first day he tried and tried. Every single time he would stop and grab the wall. Sometimes 5ft off the wall cause he needed to talk or ask Tara a question. Other times it was at the half way mark. We tried everything we could to get him to swim the whole pool. Even told him if he went half way and then back without touching the wall that it would be the same and he could then go off the diving board. Even that didn't work. When it was time to go, he was distraught. He was crying, mad, and didn't want to get dressed to leave. I promised we would be back the next day to try again. The next day a good friend, swim teacher and swim coach was the lifeguard. Bubba was having the same problem. Some of it was loss of stamina from a few months away from the pool but mostly it was confidence. Seeing that, Keith gave him a 1 bubble belt. The belt didn't really do much for him except build the confidence. He swam the pool right away, and went off the diving board. In order to go again, he had to go without the belt. He still "couldn't" go the whole way so he did half way and back. He was so happy to be going off the diving board!
On Wednesday the kids had a performance at AU music class. It was very cute. Bubba danced and sang, Mo played the malletts. They were very proud of it and excited that dad took his lunch break at that time so he could come watch.
Mo also had her first Occupational Therapy appointment. Of course it went well and she had a blast.
Then we all got sick....A stomach bug consumed us all. Thank goodness it was just a quick 24-36hr thing but as I type Daddy still isn't feeling well. He is on day two and appears to be getting worse, not better. At least everyone is healthy again and Mo didn't miss seeing the Nutcracker. Mimi took her to see it today and since it was her first time, it was a huge deal to her. So thankful she didn't have to miss it! She got a new outfit from Grandma P. to wear, and went through mommy's jewelry boxes to find matching jewelry. She ended up with Grandma R's clip on earrings & brooch for her hair, and mommy's necklace. She felt super special and beautiful!
Friday, December 7, 2012
Crazy Day
Yesterday was such a crazy day! Squeeks is fully into the terrible twos now. Well, she has been for a few weeks but yesterday was by far the worst. I could not take my eyes off of her for two seconds it seemed. The first 4 hours of the day were full of her wanting to potty train, many accidents, poopy diaper taken off and once even pooping on the floor (i assume) and coming to me carrying her poop in her hands. After that incident I decided we were done with potty training for the day. Which of course she wasn't happy about at all. Thank goodness I had a onesie that still fit because it is the only piece of clothing that she cannot remove.
Later on in the day we had some "fun" events like her buttering the potato & onion wooden holder. This was while I thought she was eating a snack and I could have a couple minutes to rotate the laundry. Next thing I know Bubba is yelling that she was smearing butter all over. Of course I made her stand there with me and help clean it all up. Since there are words carved into the lid it was quite the mess! It was like she was trying to fill the lines up with butter or something. It was a good thing that I was in a good mood bacause otherwise I wouldn't have handled this day well. But since I was in a good mood I knew this one couldn't go without pictures. So we took pictures before cleaning.
In the afternoon I decided it was time for a bath. She wanted one, needed one, and I figured that I could maybe finish rotating that laundry. So I run the bath, put her in, fold the laundry and start putting it away. No more than 45 sec after I walk in that hallway to put some clothes away I hear water splashing. I run back to see what's going on and she is dumpin cup fulls of water on the floor as fast as she can. You would think that after a couple kids I would know not to leave a cup in there but I forgot. So, very quickly bath time was over.
Although we had MANY mishaps yesterday and it made my day drag on so bad, and no one got a single thing accomplished, I am very happy that she is a healthy kid who is vibrant and full of life. even if that means a little craziness. Phil had a rough day at work as well so we did something we haven't done in at least a year. We had pizza pizza for dinner, and not the take and bake kind. True delivery pizza. The kids were so excited about that.
The other two kids enjoyed their lazy day yesterday and today. Nick has a cold and is resting and mo is resting as well.
Later on in the day we had some "fun" events like her buttering the potato & onion wooden holder. This was while I thought she was eating a snack and I could have a couple minutes to rotate the laundry. Next thing I know Bubba is yelling that she was smearing butter all over. Of course I made her stand there with me and help clean it all up. Since there are words carved into the lid it was quite the mess! It was like she was trying to fill the lines up with butter or something. It was a good thing that I was in a good mood bacause otherwise I wouldn't have handled this day well. But since I was in a good mood I knew this one couldn't go without pictures. So we took pictures before cleaning.
In the afternoon I decided it was time for a bath. She wanted one, needed one, and I figured that I could maybe finish rotating that laundry. So I run the bath, put her in, fold the laundry and start putting it away. No more than 45 sec after I walk in that hallway to put some clothes away I hear water splashing. I run back to see what's going on and she is dumpin cup fulls of water on the floor as fast as she can. You would think that after a couple kids I would know not to leave a cup in there but I forgot. So, very quickly bath time was over.
Although we had MANY mishaps yesterday and it made my day drag on so bad, and no one got a single thing accomplished, I am very happy that she is a healthy kid who is vibrant and full of life. even if that means a little craziness. Phil had a rough day at work as well so we did something we haven't done in at least a year. We had pizza pizza for dinner, and not the take and bake kind. True delivery pizza. The kids were so excited about that.
Monday, December 3, 2012
Monday Memories
Today my mom is off work cause she is in between jobs. She babysat Bubba and Squeeks while I took Mo to Physical Therapy. She planned to take them somewhere.
Nick said "I bet she will take us to Chuck E Cheese."
Mo said "No, she won't go without me."
I said "I seriously doubt you will go there so don't get your hopes up."
Fast forward 4 hours. I call mom to let her know we are on our way home. No answer. Twenty minutes later I call again. She answers. Guess where she is....Chuck E Cheese! She says "Somehow we just happened to end up here!" Sometimes I think my mom likes that place just as much as the kids do.
Physical Therapy is going so good for Mo. She loves her therapists. Today the therapist discovered that one leg is longer than the other. She put in an insert and when Mo walked with it in, she didn't turn her foot inwards. Such great news that an insert could solve some of her problems! Hopefully the Orthopedic doctor will get the order sent in soon so we can have the mold done and get the insert soon.
Nick said "I bet she will take us to Chuck E Cheese."
Mo said "No, she won't go without me."
I said "I seriously doubt you will go there so don't get your hopes up."
Fast forward 4 hours. I call mom to let her know we are on our way home. No answer. Twenty minutes later I call again. She answers. Guess where she is....Chuck E Cheese! She says "Somehow we just happened to end up here!" Sometimes I think my mom likes that place just as much as the kids do.
Physical Therapy is going so good for Mo. She loves her therapists. Today the therapist discovered that one leg is longer than the other. She put in an insert and when Mo walked with it in, she didn't turn her foot inwards. Such great news that an insert could solve some of her problems! Hopefully the Orthopedic doctor will get the order sent in soon so we can have the mold done and get the insert soon.
Blog to book?!
OK, so I just found out that you can turn your blog into a book! I have always had so many things that I would like written down in a book for my children to read when they are older. I have so many thoughts, quotes, funny memories, and many other things written on my computer, blog, scraps of paper, Facebook, and who knows where else that I want remembered. Who knew that I could write them here and have them printed in a nice book?! Well, apparently not me!!! But now I know. And now I think I will finally take the blog thing seriously. Now I will add more pictures, quotes, and funny memories.
Monday, November 5, 2012
New adventures
We are embarking on some new adventures! You all know my motto "Everything happens for a reason and only God knows that reason", Right? Well, here is more proof of that...
Eight weeks ago Mo woke up with knee pain. Apparently she had fallen off her bike that day but didn't bother to tell me cause it wasn't bad (scuffed the pants, but not her skin). Thought it was coincidence and probably just some growing pains. Two weeks later I decided it was time to call the doctor just to double check. The x-ray didn't show any injury so the doc said to call if it was still hurting in a week. One week later we were back for another exam. This time we were referred to the Orthopedic doctor. Since we had previously been there for Squeek's hips and Mo's fractured thumb we knew this was the right step. So we say our Orthopedic doc the next week, then MRI the week after. MRI results showed soft tissue contusion and swelling. The doctor ordered Physical Therapy.
A few days after the MRI, Mo was on the computer. After a few minutes she came and asked if she could borrow my glasses cause the letters were blurry (she was using a typing program). So, of course I called and got the kids in for eye exams. During the eye exam, Mo had a really hard time. She couldn't tell us even half of the letters, even when the doctor pointed to them individually. Reading a sentence or a paragraph was the same way. After a very lengthy exam the doctor finally diagnosed Mo with a visual perception disorder called Convergence Insufficiency. The doctor said that she needs vision therapy but that many insurance companies do not cover it.
After a few days the order for Physical Therapy came in the mail.While looking over the paper I notice the option for Occupational Therapy. Guess what's under Occupational Therapy? Visual Perception Therapy!!!
When they called to set up the Physical Therapy, I asked them about the other therapy. They said that the do bill insurance for it and that they don't foresee any issues with getting it covered. So, I called the pediatrician and left a message explaining what had happened. I received a call back to clarify and then a second call a few minutes later saying that the doctor had sent over orders for Occupational Therapy. What a blessing!
Today Mo had her Physical Therapy evaluation and they could barely get her knee to hurt at all. However, she does have a good amount of weakness in her leg, over-extension in the other leg, and turns one foot inwards. I know that she did not have the foot or over-extension problems a couple years ago so I have no idea when those became an issue. Thank goodness for the knee injury which sent her to therapy so that we would discover these other issues, and discover that we can get Occupational Therapy! It is so amazing how God has a plan for everything, even when you have no idea why it is happening,
While I am extremely thankful for the way things have turned out so far, I am still worried about some things. There is still a fear that for some odd reason the insurance will not cover the vision therapy. The second worry is finding an ongoing sitter. Mo will be having therapy at least one day a week (and that's if I can get both therapies on the same day). For these appointments they need me present so that I can learn new exercises and such to do with her at home. Since many therapy tools are toys, they are pretty strict about siblings not attending (especially with small kids). I am praying that God will lead us to someone who will be willing to help us with childcare while I attend these appointments with Mo. It would be so much easier if I could afford to hire someone, but as it is, the gas money to get to and from all these medical appointments is going to be a stretch. In the midst of these appointments, we also have yearly check-ups for the younger two and Squeek's last (hopefully) Orthopedic appointment for her hip dysplacia. These doctors offices are between 25 and 75 minutes away so the gas adds up quickly.
So, to wrap this up....We are extremely thankful for good doctors and a God who meets our needs before we even know our needs. We trust that he will provide the rest of our needs in this situation and that it will all work out. Please pray for us as we go through this. Thanks!
Oh, and Mo needs to have a consult with a Orthodontist and Kayla needs a new Allergist since insurance is refusing to let us continue to see the one we have been seeing. These are other things that I just can't even think about dealing with right now, but hope to soon.
Eight weeks ago Mo woke up with knee pain. Apparently she had fallen off her bike that day but didn't bother to tell me cause it wasn't bad (scuffed the pants, but not her skin). Thought it was coincidence and probably just some growing pains. Two weeks later I decided it was time to call the doctor just to double check. The x-ray didn't show any injury so the doc said to call if it was still hurting in a week. One week later we were back for another exam. This time we were referred to the Orthopedic doctor. Since we had previously been there for Squeek's hips and Mo's fractured thumb we knew this was the right step. So we say our Orthopedic doc the next week, then MRI the week after. MRI results showed soft tissue contusion and swelling. The doctor ordered Physical Therapy.
A few days after the MRI, Mo was on the computer. After a few minutes she came and asked if she could borrow my glasses cause the letters were blurry (she was using a typing program). So, of course I called and got the kids in for eye exams. During the eye exam, Mo had a really hard time. She couldn't tell us even half of the letters, even when the doctor pointed to them individually. Reading a sentence or a paragraph was the same way. After a very lengthy exam the doctor finally diagnosed Mo with a visual perception disorder called Convergence Insufficiency. The doctor said that she needs vision therapy but that many insurance companies do not cover it.
After a few days the order for Physical Therapy came in the mail.While looking over the paper I notice the option for Occupational Therapy. Guess what's under Occupational Therapy? Visual Perception Therapy!!!
When they called to set up the Physical Therapy, I asked them about the other therapy. They said that the do bill insurance for it and that they don't foresee any issues with getting it covered. So, I called the pediatrician and left a message explaining what had happened. I received a call back to clarify and then a second call a few minutes later saying that the doctor had sent over orders for Occupational Therapy. What a blessing!
Today Mo had her Physical Therapy evaluation and they could barely get her knee to hurt at all. However, she does have a good amount of weakness in her leg, over-extension in the other leg, and turns one foot inwards. I know that she did not have the foot or over-extension problems a couple years ago so I have no idea when those became an issue. Thank goodness for the knee injury which sent her to therapy so that we would discover these other issues, and discover that we can get Occupational Therapy! It is so amazing how God has a plan for everything, even when you have no idea why it is happening,
While I am extremely thankful for the way things have turned out so far, I am still worried about some things. There is still a fear that for some odd reason the insurance will not cover the vision therapy. The second worry is finding an ongoing sitter. Mo will be having therapy at least one day a week (and that's if I can get both therapies on the same day). For these appointments they need me present so that I can learn new exercises and such to do with her at home. Since many therapy tools are toys, they are pretty strict about siblings not attending (especially with small kids). I am praying that God will lead us to someone who will be willing to help us with childcare while I attend these appointments with Mo. It would be so much easier if I could afford to hire someone, but as it is, the gas money to get to and from all these medical appointments is going to be a stretch. In the midst of these appointments, we also have yearly check-ups for the younger two and Squeek's last (hopefully) Orthopedic appointment for her hip dysplacia. These doctors offices are between 25 and 75 minutes away so the gas adds up quickly.
So, to wrap this up....We are extremely thankful for good doctors and a God who meets our needs before we even know our needs. We trust that he will provide the rest of our needs in this situation and that it will all work out. Please pray for us as we go through this. Thanks!
Oh, and Mo needs to have a consult with a Orthodontist and Kayla needs a new Allergist since insurance is refusing to let us continue to see the one we have been seeing. These are other things that I just can't even think about dealing with right now, but hope to soon.
2 years since last post....WOW.
Wow, I can't believe I haven't posted here in almost two years. That is CRAZY!! I would love to say this is a post to update everyone on the last two years, but it isn't. Well, okay, I will do a short and sweet update, then write another post on what I actually got on here to write about.
In the last two years we have had these things happen:
5 Months of unemployment
Baby born with hip dysplacia requiring trips to an orthopedic doctor. (Last appt will be next week. If all is still well then we should be good and not need any surgery, thus she will be declared healed.)
Job with CRAZY hours that only lasted a few weeks cause we couldn't deal with the daily changes.
Next job was great till the paychecks started bouncing. Can't really have a job not knowing if your paycheck will really be there or not.
Next job lasted awhile but they booted him out shortly after hearing that he was attending school. While this was a blessing and freed up more time for school & family, it was a financing stress. I went and got a job working in the Walmart meat department for a couple months while Phil did his summer term of school. After that he went and got a job. While that time was very stressful it was a huge blessing because the financial strain forces you to trust in God for your needs. It was through God's blessings that we made it through with donations, random checks in the mail, and help from family. We were blessed time and time again.
When Phil went to go look for a mechanic position they told him that they actually wanted him to be a "breakdown coordinator" in their office. This is the perfect job for him as he was wanting to transition into an office position. He was going to school with the hopes of one day leaving the mechanic industry. As of now he has been working in an office for a couple months and he LOVES it! Everything that we have gone through these last 6 months has all just gone to show us even more that God has a plan for each and every moment in our lives.
QUICK update on kids:
Mo is now 7yrs old, in 2nd grade, has done swim team the last two summers, and also did 4H this summer as well.
Bubba is turning 5 this week, is in Kindergarten, beginning to read, and is really good at addition. He also did the swim team this summer although he realized that he does not enjoy swimming as a sport. We hope to try out baseball next spring
Squeeks was just barely born when I last posted....She is now about to turn 2 years old. She is full of energy, loves to babble, sing, play with babies, and loves doggies (stuffed ones). Her two years has been full of hives and trying to figure out what caused them. Turns out that she is allergic to wheat, oats, apple, berries, melon and cucumber. We are so glad to know what caused her misery and we have eliminated all those foods. We do still need more testing to confirm some things and to find if there are more allergies due to still occasionally having hives, but for the most part we have this allergy thing under control.
Well, that should catch some things up a bit. Sorry it wasn't more informative.
In the last two years we have had these things happen:
5 Months of unemployment
Baby born with hip dysplacia requiring trips to an orthopedic doctor. (Last appt will be next week. If all is still well then we should be good and not need any surgery, thus she will be declared healed.)
Job with CRAZY hours that only lasted a few weeks cause we couldn't deal with the daily changes.
Next job was great till the paychecks started bouncing. Can't really have a job not knowing if your paycheck will really be there or not.
Next job lasted awhile but they booted him out shortly after hearing that he was attending school. While this was a blessing and freed up more time for school & family, it was a financing stress. I went and got a job working in the Walmart meat department for a couple months while Phil did his summer term of school. After that he went and got a job. While that time was very stressful it was a huge blessing because the financial strain forces you to trust in God for your needs. It was through God's blessings that we made it through with donations, random checks in the mail, and help from family. We were blessed time and time again.
When Phil went to go look for a mechanic position they told him that they actually wanted him to be a "breakdown coordinator" in their office. This is the perfect job for him as he was wanting to transition into an office position. He was going to school with the hopes of one day leaving the mechanic industry. As of now he has been working in an office for a couple months and he LOVES it! Everything that we have gone through these last 6 months has all just gone to show us even more that God has a plan for each and every moment in our lives.
QUICK update on kids:
Mo is now 7yrs old, in 2nd grade, has done swim team the last two summers, and also did 4H this summer as well.
Bubba is turning 5 this week, is in Kindergarten, beginning to read, and is really good at addition. He also did the swim team this summer although he realized that he does not enjoy swimming as a sport. We hope to try out baseball next spring
Squeeks was just barely born when I last posted....She is now about to turn 2 years old. She is full of energy, loves to babble, sing, play with babies, and loves doggies (stuffed ones). Her two years has been full of hives and trying to figure out what caused them. Turns out that she is allergic to wheat, oats, apple, berries, melon and cucumber. We are so glad to know what caused her misery and we have eliminated all those foods. We do still need more testing to confirm some things and to find if there are more allergies due to still occasionally having hives, but for the most part we have this allergy thing under control.
Well, that should catch some things up a bit. Sorry it wasn't more informative.
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