Christmas Light Express

The tragedy in CT has just left me, like everyone else, so sad. I have been extra clingy to my kids, even more of a HoverMom than I usually am.
I got an idea to make going to look at Christmas lights a bit more special, more a big deal, than normal. And I think we have a tradition now.
Saturday morning, Ryan and Brandon had a meeting with Boy Scouts so while the little kids were still sleeping I designed tickets for our adventure.

Admit One tickets to Christmas Light Express.

Before supper I told the kids to go look on their seats in the car. They came back so excited, even though only 2 can read and knew what they said, they had already filled Britton and Gracelyn in on what was going to happen in a couple of hours!

After supper I prepared a thermos of hot chocolate while the kids donned their pajamas. Ryan went and heated up the "Burb so it would be all warm and toasty for the fun about to happen.

The kids dined on hot chocolate and mint chocolate chip cookies between ooohs and aaahs over Christmas lights.

It was such a fun night with the family.

The warm weather had made it difficult to be in the Christmas spirit but how could we all not be after this?! It was a blast!

Gracelyn is perfect.

According the umpteenth doctor we have seen regarding Gracelyn, in his words, Gracelyn is perfect. We concur.

Friday we saw a hearing specialist following a procedure a month before to remove her left ear tube that was stuck in her ear due to all the fluid and gunk. It wasn't pretty.
We have a wonderful family doctor we have started seeing, after the previous family doc dismissed my concerns and the pediatrician admitted she told other patients about Gracelyn and how we fed her HONEY and she contracted botulism. The new doc listened and agreed that Gracelyn's articulation isn't where it should be. Whether if it's from lack of speech therapy following her battle with botulism or her ears or both we weren't sure but there was an issue.
He sent us to an ENT and that is when he discussed her left ear tube that was still in and was actually the source of infection. The outpatient procedure to remove the tube took all of 10 minutes and when he came out to tell me how she did, he told me that her eardrum was totally healed underneath all of the fluid! WHAT?! He was even surprised. I exclaimed, "Praise God!" because it was nothing short of God's mercy.

So Friday we went to Hough Ear Institute in OKC and after over an hour of testing, which Gracelyn was a rockstar, we saw the doctor and in his words, "Gracelyn is perfect!" He confirmed that it was only through God that her eardrum healed underneath the infection she had in her ear. He couldn't believe all that our sweet girl has been through in her 3 years of life and when I told him she was a testimony, he agreed. The doc told us she can hear perfectly! And she doesn't need to come back to see him. He did agree that she needs speech therapy. Friday night at our Sunday School social I spoke to a speech therapist about Gracelyn. She said Gracelyn needed to be given time now that she can actually hear. Her tripping over her words is common as sheis just now able to hear sounds correctly. She probably hasn't been able to hear since she was a baby seeing as her ear infections started early. So we will work with her, she certainly isn't shy to speak, she doesn't hesitate to attempt to tell us what she wants or to tattle on her bros!! So we completely agree with the neurotologist, she is perfect!

and a bit of a showoff.

Tuesday tidbits

I can't believe it's one week til Christmas. We are having a low(er)-key celebration because my stepsister will be out of town til Christmas so in order to all be together at my mom's it will be after Christmas. That is great since they are saying BLIZZARD on Christmas so it will be less traveling.

Britton, being in pre-k, goes on lots of field trips. Going to the nursing home to sing songs to the residents is a monthly event for the class. For the month of December the kids sang Christmas songs and hung candy cane door hangers on the residents doors. The older people just beam when those little kids come and show them love and attention.

The little boys are in the same class at church on Wednesday nights. They love their class, coming home singing all sorts of songs that I sang growing up. Their favorite, and mine, being I'm in the Lord's Army with actions!
Wednesday night they sang a few songs before the congregation and the Kindergarteners each recited a part of John 3:16. Blaine said "John 3:16." 

 Blaine on the front row far end and Britton back row on this end.

Ryan and I had his company Christmas party the same night so after the boys sang we had to leave. I love this picture of them. Blaine so casually threw his arms across Britton's shoulder and while they both have ties on, Britton adamently stated he didn't want to wear his suit.

all 4!

Gracelyn was invited to the Nutcracker ballet Sunday afternoon by her Nana. When Ryan's mom called her Saturday afternoon to ask her she excitedly said yes and talked about it until she left Sunday. Gracelyn told her brothers and everyone she saw at church Sunday.

ready to leave

I don't have pics from the performance but I know Gracelyn had fun. She told us all about it. While I was making supper that night our little sweetpea passed smooth out.

This guy...

found his glasses! They had been missing for at least 2 weeks. When I told Blaine Sunday to get shoes for church he came back with his hands behind his back. He told me he didn't find shoes but to guess what he found. I had no idea so he beamed as he revealed his glasses! They were in the bottom of his closet under lots of shoes so they needed major adjustments. After a visit to the eye doc Monday morning and Blaine was back in business!

At the beginning of the year, each student in Brandon's Gifted & Talented class selected a country to study. Throughout the semester the kids have done reports and presentations over different areas of the selected country. For Christmas they studied holiday traditions and were to bring a food familiar to his/her country.

Brandon selected Ireland, being loyal to his dad's heritage. He totally enjoyed it and we all enjoyed hearing different facts. When it came time to make the food, all of the items he chose had alcohol in them. It was not going well. He finally chose a soda bread but that was a total flop  In order to avoid Wal-mart again last night I searched and found some cookies for which I had all the ingredients.

Irish Lace Cookies. I didn't get a pic but he said they were really good and all the kids thought so too. He dined on Greek donuts, tamales, several different kids of cookies, jelly rolls. Needless to say, he had a great day today!

Today was Britton's party day and tomorrow is Blaine and Brandon's! Then Christmas Break!!

Merry Christmas!

Tuesday tidbits

My second edition of Tuesday Tidbits. It puts less pressure on me than Tuesday 10.

Confession: Ryan got up in the attic the Saturday after Thanksgiving, like his does every year, and found no tree. A few minutes passed of us racking our brains and then it dawned on us that we had thrown our tree away last year. It had a dust on it that irritated my already dry, sensitive, irritated eyes and then the lights began malfunctioning. Apparently we didn't hit up the after Christmas sales for a new tree though. So we had been without a tree, until last Friday. The ceramic tree from my dearly loved Granny just wasn't cutting it for the kids,

totally understandable, and Brandon, who is all about giving unto others this season, really wanted to look at the local thrift store. The bigger trees there were less than appealing and the prices were sky high but Brandon saw a smaller tree and all at once, all 4 kids crowded it and begged for it. The stand was more than the tree and the tree only cost $2. I felt horrible so I texted Ryan and asked him what he thought. He said as long as they were totally happy with it to get it. As soon as I hung up the phone they all looked at me with anticipated expressions and asked if we could please buy it.

our own Charlie Brown tree and the kids couldn't be prouder

I asked the kids why they wanted it so bad and Britton replied, "because it's my size!"

While decorating the tree, which took far less time than usual, the kids all found their first ornaments. Blaine was born in 2006 and when he saw his little lamb he exclaimed, "I was born in two-thousand SIXTY!"

Ryan is sporting a goatee of which I am not a fan, but our children are split on the issue. daily, they take a poll of whether Dad should shave or not. It's pretty amusing because the boys' answers always change but Gracelyn's "no" remains steady.

Gracelyn got to practice on beam for the first time tonight! She's walked on a low beam but never done pivots or hops on the beam. She loved it!

At scouts last week, the boys earned their showmanship achievement by performing a puppet show for the moms. It was awesome! How could it not be when it had scouts, an Indian friend, Bigfoot and big scary bird.

During the performance a few of the puppets' heads fell off which was pretty comical. The boys did a great job keeping their composure and pressing on.

This girl absolutely adores Cinderella. On Saturday while we were all busy cleaning, we found her propped up watching "Rella."

Santa was downtown last week so I took the kids to see him. The kids see Santa every year but we don't emphasize him in our family. It's more of a photo op for us. When Santa asked the kids what they wanted for Christmas, they all looked at him like he was crazy because they don't look to him for gifts.
As it turns out, there was a Rudolph nearby the sleigh and they loved him much more than Santa.

Ryan's mom has a Christmas village and they kids just love it, it is pretty neat. I love the look on their faces when they are so captivated.

a little Christmas wonder

Monday nights are ice cream date nights with this dude

and every night we play a few rounds of Uno

This girl was somersaulting at 11PM. She is nocturnal.

Her appointment with the hearing specialist is Friday. Prayers for her cooperation would be greatly appreciated, so we can know for sure where she needs assistance

Have a fabulous week! I cannot believe it's 2 weeks til Christmas!

Britton Ryan turns 5!

Our sweet B3 is a whole hand as of November 27! We asked him that morning if he felt 5 and he proudly and confidently replied "yep!' I just cannot believe Britton is old enough to be in school. He still loves to cuddle but also is such a boy. He is down for playing with any action figure or playing any sport. He rarely slows down, even sleeping less than his sibs. He's up before the sun ready to roll!
He chose a fire station birthday party and had a blast. With his birthday around Thanksgiving we had his party 10 days before his big day.

the first stop on the tour, the guys' living room!

Brandon loved the tour,asking lots of questions, the little kids were just waiting for the rides!

the firemen sleep here?!

Casidee, Blaine, Cayson and Jayce

his sibs are already testing out the toys.

fire truck rides with sirens!

ride with buddies!

ride with his sibs

fun day with friends!

our little man is 5!

bday b'fast! donuts and chocolate milk!

bday brownie after hamburgers for supper!