2008 in Review

Sorry just realized that there is no music to the video... which is too bad because the music really makes it.  I will trouble shoot and see if I can fix it!

Here is a video that highlights our year.  We hope you enjoy it!

All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth

I have been thinking what a great team Paul and I are.  I truly feel that we can handle and accomplish so much more as a team than we can apart.  These last few days have highlighted this so perfectly.

Last night Gracie and Beth were in the bath playing when I heard Gracie call for me.  I went in to check on them and Gracie was holding her tooth in her hand!  I thought "Great it finally came out and I didn't have to pull it!"  Then when I looked at her, I noticed that she was in fact missing both her top front teeth!  I searched in the tub for the other tooth, found it and then tended to my then crying and bleeding Gracie.  Turns out that the girls were playing a game where Grace put a toy snake in her mouth and Beth would pull it out.  I guess Grace forgot that she had a loose tooth!  Paul came into the chaos and preceded to walk right out of the bathroom and let me deal with it.  When it comes to blood Paul runs!  He was glad that I was there to deal with her.  I don't mind stepping up and handling situations like this and am glad that I can and let him deal with other situations.

Today was Paul's turn.  Bethy has been having a problem with a boy in her class.  He has hit her once before and today hit her again.  She is not the only one that he is bullying.  She is an easy target for him.  She has two marks on her face from each incident.  We are glad that the school is stepping up and disciplining him and he was actually sent home from school today as he hit someone else after he hit Bethy.  Paul is an amazing dad and a protective one, as demonstrated by the Halloween incident with Beth.  Anyway, I think he is dealing with this really well and has spoken to the school and said that this needs to stop.  If I had gone in today to pick her up and heard this again, I probably would have said that it is too bad and just left it at that, not really knowing what else we can do.  Paul though isn't afraid to deal with it and take action!  I am praying that we teach Beth, and Grace, some skills to deal with bullies and that they know that they can always tell us if they are being hurt or scared.  Boy, I didn't think we'd be dealing with this already!

Well, it has been a real adventure the last few days.  Oh, I also fell down the stairs with Jude in my arms and I took the whole brunt of the fall.  He is fine and I am too, but my back and neck are sore, oh well, another mom role fulfilled..... sacrifice body to safe son!

Growing Up

I haven't blogged for a bit now, I feel like I have no time to sit and muse.  Every time I start the kids need something, and after they are in bed I have been busy with other things.  Of course these are all excuses for the fact that frankly I have not been very interspective.  My mind feels like it is on autopilot.  Here is another excuse, Bethy just interrupted me to ask to play on the computer.  Which is actually a great segue (did I spell that right?) into today's entry. 

 Beth has been surprising me lately.  I had a conversation with my mom the other day about an email that Beth had sent to my dad.  She is amazing on the computer, and has been ever since she was 2.  She now can send emails, to her grandparents... with photo attachments,  Skype and play games online all on her own.  I mean truly all on her own.  I don't even know when she is sending emails or what she is sending until she gets a response, and the other day she Skyped with Nana and Papa and  we didn't even know till they told us about their conversation with her later that day.  (She just came in and asked if I have been using the spacebar in my entry!)  She is only 4 and she talks about websites, keyboards, emails, she loves it!  The funny thing is she in more involved with the computer than the rest of us.  Gracie hardly touches it!

On to more Beth news.  She had her first real playdate yesterday.  There is a girl in her playschool that she has been calling Miskayla.  I found out from her mom that her name is Makayla.  They get along real great at school so we set up a playdate yesterday at our house for them.  They ran  into Beth's room and we didn't see them for over 3 hours!  I was very proud of her and as I reflect on how old she is getting sad too.  I can't believe that she is going to be in Kindergarden next year.  Having Gracie in school all day has shown me how precious these first years are with them, when I see them all day.  I miss Gracie now that school sees her more than I do in a day.  I think she misses home too, and she loves the weekends with us.  I can't wait for Christmas break just so we all can hang out and have fun, and sleep in!