We treated ourselves to a Flip video camera last month and I LOVE it! It is so much easier getting things put together and uploaded than our regular camcorder. So it makes capturing little moments much easier for us to share. So here are a few that we have been watching over and over at home...
Christmas morning, we surprised Owen with a drum set. Thanks to my dad for getting it all fixed up and delivered and thanks to my brother Matt for handing it down to Owen for his enjoyment. We have since taken the gate off the stairs so he can enjoy it as much as he wants (for now) and he goes to play at least a dozen times a day.
My favorite part of the video is when he first sees them and shouts "DRUMS!" with his hands out.
My least favorite part of the video is when he pushes his sister for trying to see them - but I left it in since this is truly their relationship and why try to hide it :)
Another one also related to Christmas...Mallory received a karaoke machine for Christmas. And of course anything with a microphone is Owen's favorite. So he got a hold of it and busted out in a tune of jingle bells. Yes it is a little muffled, we need to teach him not to put the microphone smashed up to his lips, but you get the idea. We have a future musician on our hands.
And finally, Owen received a very sweet card for his birthday from his old speech therapist Anne. It is one that plays music and he LOVES it. Again, you will have to put up with Olivia and him fighting but cute to see him try and figure out how to make the card work!
(Thanks Anne, It was so sweet of you to remember his birthday!)
fall13 kids
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Five years
I started this post a bunch of times, then just kept hitting the backspace key to start over. It is a difficult one to get right, it is hard to come up with the right words to describe what it has been like. To summarize what we have learned, how we have grown, what has changed and the inspiration he brings to us, and still try to tell his story. The times when we are frustrated and sad about certain situations get outnumbered by the joy he brings, by the people he has brought into our lives and especially by him. We are truly blessed to a part of his life.
I think back to five years ago and what a mess I was. Trying to keep it together and understand it all but still also being a mom for the first time. It seems like it was such a blur but I have such vivid memories that will last a lifetime.
Today we celebrate what Owen has become.
He loves to show his love for people. His hugs are the best. He is always in costume even if it is just a t-shirt and sweatpants he is a hero to many. He has the greatest personality and expressions. He is funny. His smile is inspiring. He has no fear (except for a little snow). He strives to learn, even when it is hard, even if we have to keep reminding him to try. He is amazing.
Never did I think we would be where we are now with him. It is a lesson to be learned for us, not to think he will have limitations because he will always beat them.
And here is another montage to wrap up his fifth year. I hope you enjoy it, Owen has watched it about a dozen times telling me about each picture, it really makes putting these things together worth while.
I think back to five years ago and what a mess I was. Trying to keep it together and understand it all but still also being a mom for the first time. It seems like it was such a blur but I have such vivid memories that will last a lifetime.
Today we celebrate what Owen has become.
He loves to show his love for people. His hugs are the best. He is always in costume even if it is just a t-shirt and sweatpants he is a hero to many. He has the greatest personality and expressions. He is funny. His smile is inspiring. He has no fear (except for a little snow). He strives to learn, even when it is hard, even if we have to keep reminding him to try. He is amazing.
Never did I think we would be where we are now with him. It is a lesson to be learned for us, not to think he will have limitations because he will always beat them.
And here is another montage to wrap up his fifth year. I hope you enjoy it, Owen has watched it about a dozen times telling me about each picture, it really makes putting these things together worth while.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
'Twas the night before christmas...
I felt like I was a kid again, excited to fall asleep and up early to see what Santa brought. Mostly because this year Owen was starting to understand a little about Santa and that he would be bringing presents.
With anticipation of how everyone would react we had an eventful Christmas eve spent at my dads house. Being together, opening presents, eating good food and celebrating the holiday.
Owen was lucky enough to inherit uncle Matt's drum set. However, he did not find out until Christmas morning but instead got just some sticks on Christmas eve. I think he was a little confused :)
And what wonderful times with Uncle Ryan home.
Lots of events going on. Animals, singing, gingerbread house making... So many in fact I just can not possibly fit them all into one post.
And then we made our way home to wait patiently on Santa to arrive. We got the final wrapping complete, Jason worked on preparations for a Christmas day dinner and the kids dreamt of sugar plums dancing.
Until Owen's internal clock decided it was time to wake up. And we told him we thought Santa came. He hurried downstairs to see a mountain of presents under the tree and some stockings hung over the fireplace with care.
"Wow" and "Cool" were the favorite adjectives heard for the next hour.
Olivia's expressions of every gift looked like this. She was sooo happy with everything. And between being frustrated with opening the wrapping paper and wanting to play with everything instantly Owen had a great time.
Watching them open their presents reminds me how lucky we are. To have healthy children, to be spending our time together at home and to be able to provide things for them that give them so much joy.
A few of their favorites this year have been books, little pop-up tents, a new guitar for Owen, strawberry shortcake girls for Olivia, pirate ships and castles.
And Santa did not disappoint this year and decided to tuck some money hidden away the last few months to save up to buy me a new iPad. So I have a fun new toy and am so thankful that my honey has kept it such a secret. Now I just have to figure out how to use it!
The rest of Christmas day was fun as we played with the new toys and then had the Kentros and Thorsen family over for a fabulous feast provided by Jason once again. The kids had a great time playing and again getting a few more gifts to add to their collection.
Sisters with their boys :)
And as fast as the magical season came in, it has now left us with two kiddos with fevers. Up most the night coughing and now ready to celebrate a birthday and the coming of the new year.
We hope everyone enjoyed their time with their families and were able to celebrate the joy of the season.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
sugar and spice and everything nice
A special post about a little girl who has grown sooo much in the last few months. It is hard for her to not get stuck in the shadows as we focus a lot of our attention on teachings with Owen. But she is always a participant wanting a turn trying to work on letters and Owen's name and colors, and counting. She loves to learn.
But what is even more amazing is the maturity that she has. I could not believe how quickly she picked up the potty training and from the very start figured out to stay dry at night as well. Only problem here is her wanting to get up at 2am to go potty. Yikes!
Her singing is coming along and she has now gone beyond her abc's to singing mary had a little lamb, row row row your boat, and jingle bells to name a few. Always singing with such a cute high pitched voice with the words mumbled a bit just like her mom when she doens't remember the words. She knows all the animals and even some random ones thrown in there that just amaze me.
She still has her moments of her true 2 year old behavior, loves to carry her blankie around, suck her thumb and loves to cling to her mommy. We are just so blessed to have her on this journey with us.
We love you sweet princess!
Monday, December 20, 2010
Our year in review
Another year has flown by but we have thoroughly loved every minute of it. Through the ups and downs and crazy schedules we have remembered to pay attention to the little things that make it all worth while. I didn’t get a chance to write a Christmas letter this year or last so I thought at least to do a recap here for anyone interested ;)
After five months of having our house on the market, the house we fell in love with was sold to another buyer and our buyer was offering too little for us. So we decided to stay put for a while. It was a trying few months trying to keep the place spotless with 2 small kids that had no interest in leaving things on shelves and keeping windows clean.
Owen has made big strides this year, he has also had a pretty eventful year. He started the year out with surgery to get his tonsils and adenoids out. That recovery was REALLY hard and will be 2 weeks I will never forget. He has been big into costumes and loves to play with his sister. We enrolled him in his first sport – T-ball, which he struggled with a bit but it was an adventure to say the least. A big change came this fall when we learned he would need hearing aids but it has really been a blessing since he has been doing SO well with them since he got them. He continues to amaze us with his accomplishments, his spirit and his pride in his work. We are all sooo proud of him.
Olivia started the year off still a bit of a baby, not fully walking yet and not talking too much. And she wraps up the year in what seems like has been 3 years in development. She is a smart little girl learning right along side her brother and mastering all the skills he is working on. She loves her brother and also really enjoys helping him. My favorite thing about her is her communication skills and the way her voice gets high when she talks and asks questions.
Jason started a new job this year. We were really struggling having him gone each week and we have seen quite the improvement in travel. It is nice to be a full time family again. He is enjoying the new position and the new opportunities. He keeps himself busy with kid time, video game time and always a house project here and there.
It has been a busy year for me. Dealing with some health issues on top of it all I hope things start to settle down a bit. Still working like crazy but I feel a light at the end of the tunnel is on its way, one can hope! I have been trying to focus on a few fun things this year like learning how to use my SLR camera so that has been a new challenge. I love capturing the special moments that we can cherish for a lifetime. Now just need to figure out how to get the lighting right so the moments don't look so blurry ;)
These really have just been some highlights so it was fun to look back as I reviewed the blog from the last year. It really has been a rollercoaster of a year but I am excited to see what next year brings. New adventures. New friends. New perspectives. Kindergarten: eek!,
Happy Holidays everyone.
Thank you for joining us in the adventure~
After five months of having our house on the market, the house we fell in love with was sold to another buyer and our buyer was offering too little for us. So we decided to stay put for a while. It was a trying few months trying to keep the place spotless with 2 small kids that had no interest in leaving things on shelves and keeping windows clean.
Owen has made big strides this year, he has also had a pretty eventful year. He started the year out with surgery to get his tonsils and adenoids out. That recovery was REALLY hard and will be 2 weeks I will never forget. He has been big into costumes and loves to play with his sister. We enrolled him in his first sport – T-ball, which he struggled with a bit but it was an adventure to say the least. A big change came this fall when we learned he would need hearing aids but it has really been a blessing since he has been doing SO well with them since he got them. He continues to amaze us with his accomplishments, his spirit and his pride in his work. We are all sooo proud of him.
Olivia started the year off still a bit of a baby, not fully walking yet and not talking too much. And she wraps up the year in what seems like has been 3 years in development. She is a smart little girl learning right along side her brother and mastering all the skills he is working on. She loves her brother and also really enjoys helping him. My favorite thing about her is her communication skills and the way her voice gets high when she talks and asks questions.
Jason started a new job this year. We were really struggling having him gone each week and we have seen quite the improvement in travel. It is nice to be a full time family again. He is enjoying the new position and the new opportunities. He keeps himself busy with kid time, video game time and always a house project here and there.
It has been a busy year for me. Dealing with some health issues on top of it all I hope things start to settle down a bit. Still working like crazy but I feel a light at the end of the tunnel is on its way, one can hope! I have been trying to focus on a few fun things this year like learning how to use my SLR camera so that has been a new challenge. I love capturing the special moments that we can cherish for a lifetime. Now just need to figure out how to get the lighting right so the moments don't look so blurry ;)
These really have just been some highlights so it was fun to look back as I reviewed the blog from the last year. It really has been a rollercoaster of a year but I am excited to see what next year brings. New adventures. New friends. New perspectives. Kindergarten: eek!,
Happy Holidays everyone.
Thank you for joining us in the adventure~
Sunday, December 19, 2010
A little of this and that
It has been a few "hunker down" weekends lately. With the winter storm and now with two sick kiddos and 1 sick momma we are a bit confined to our home. But this time of year I could not ask for anything better (except for the sicknesses).
We have been keeping ourselves busy digging out of the snow, movies, playtime, rocking out to the Christmas music and lots of snuggles. For everything in between Jason and I have been tag teaming getting the Christmas preparations together. On top of all of that we have a little boy with a birthday just 2 days after Christmas so still trying to figure out how to make his day special amidst all the holiday celebrations.
Owen has been a VERY good student lately. Every single one of his teachers has been noticing huge changes in his participation over the last month. We all assume it has everything to do with the hearing aids! We also met with his team again to go over a new strategy since he now qualifies for deaf and hard of hearing services. So they will go through a round of testing to see where he falls in all the tests at school. We should know more in a few months what all that really means.
I got a nice note from his speech therapist at school this week. I always love hearing when things are going so well.
I just finished working with Owen. I had to write to tell you how exciting it was!!! Owen hardly let me get a word in the entire session!! I made a list of the things he told me about. There were at least 17 things!! Some included Santa Claus, Matt and Molly, Grandpa, presents under the tree, daddy shoveling.... Megan came in to give me something and he continued to tell her things. It was probably my most fun session with Owen yet!!! I am still smiling about the MANY things he talked about and I understood them!
We have been busy with OT and speech homework and we review his "book" everyday after school. Even if that means stopping instantly what you are doing because he wants to do it right then. As seen here as Jason was trying to cook dinner, Owen wanted to go over his book.
Owen has been a VERY good student lately. Every single one of his teachers has been noticing huge changes in his participation over the last month. We all assume it has everything to do with the hearing aids! We also met with his team again to go over a new strategy since he now qualifies for deaf and hard of hearing services. So they will go through a round of testing to see where he falls in all the tests at school. We should know more in a few months what all that really means.
I got a nice note from his speech therapist at school this week. I always love hearing when things are going so well.
I just finished working with Owen. I had to write to tell you how exciting it was!!! Owen hardly let me get a word in the entire session!! I made a list of the things he told me about. There were at least 17 things!! Some included Santa Claus, Matt and Molly, Grandpa, presents under the tree, daddy shoveling.... Megan came in to give me something and he continued to tell her things. It was probably my most fun session with Owen yet!!! I am still smiling about the MANY things he talked about and I understood them!
We have been busy with OT and speech homework and we review his "book" everyday after school. Even if that means stopping instantly what you are doing because he wants to do it right then. As seen here as Jason was trying to cook dinner, Owen wanted to go over his book.
Friday, December 10, 2010
A trip to the mall
What would the holiday season be without a trip to visit Santa. Sit on that lap and tell him what you want for Christmas?
I have been prepping the kids to peak their interest. Olivia keeps wanting to look at the picture from last year where she was crying. So I haveasked told her over and over not to cry this year when she sits on Santa's lap. That he is our friend and he loves her. So she said ok and was quite excited to go.
We got there and immediately both kids clammed up. They wanted nothing to do with him. We were the only ones there so Owen sat on a bench away from him and waved. Finally he warmed up enough to walk over and talk to him. I reminded Olivia one more time, let's not cry on Santa's lap this year. So we quickly plopped them up on his lap. And this is what you get.
At the end of it all, we couldn't pull Owen away and Olivia just kept asking where he went. The best part of the whole thing is that Owen has his name mixed up. He thinks he is "Christmas Tree". A little hard to explain to Santa why his new name is Christmas Tree but he went with it anyway. Thanks Santa.
I have been prepping the kids to peak their interest. Olivia keeps wanting to look at the picture from last year where she was crying. So I have
We got there and immediately both kids clammed up. They wanted nothing to do with him. We were the only ones there so Owen sat on a bench away from him and waved. Finally he warmed up enough to walk over and talk to him. I reminded Olivia one more time, let's not cry on Santa's lap this year. So we quickly plopped them up on his lap. And this is what you get.
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