sleep study pics

Sorry they're not very good. Lighting was horrible, and it's hard to take pics and help out at the same time!



















And yes, he really truly slept all night wired up like that! It took him about 10 minutes to fall asleep, then we didn't hear a thing from him for just over 8 hours. Amazing child!!

lessons for girls

Basic auto maintenance. Jim does ours on all the cars and Brent's pretty handy when it comes to auto mechanics too. But the girls aren't off the hook. Once you're old enough to drive here, you are old enough to assume the responsibility for basic auto maintenance. Jim has always said that he'll teach you how to change the oil and rotate the tires or you can pay someone else to do it--those are the choices. Today, Em's car needed an oil change. So guess what? She's outside having a lesson! See?


Just like me when I was a girl--my dad taught my sisters and me those things. And the harder stuff, like changing starters and spark plugs? Well, Jim teaches those things too. If you're really good (like Hailey) you do those things on your own! What a girl...

time is too short

When did my baby go from this (7 weeks old):


and this (4 years old):
to this (17 years old):


And now, 3 years after that picture was taken and 2 years after he moved out to go to college, why is time so short??

We only have

*1 more holiday
*9 more days with just our family
*14 more days in the Pacific Northwest
*18 more days until he boards the plane

I've been okay with his enlistment. I love the child I'm sending in and know that I will get an outstanding young man back for a visit after boot camp. Now that it's REALLY here though, I have my moments...times when the memories flood and the tears fall. I will miss this child! No matter how old he is, he's still my firstborn.... Even though he's not lived here for over 2 years, we've been able to talk to him pretty much any time we wanted. Starting December 1? Not so much. No phone calls, no emails, no text messages. Only regular US mail, and that only when he has time. We can write to him any time--and will--but it will not be the same. I will miss the fun give and take of conversation with him. I will miss his smile and his laugh. I will even miss his 'glass is half empty' view of the world. Sometimes.

One of the things the Marines give the recruit parents is a Parents Survival Guide for boot camp. The things in it are helpful and most make a great deal of sense. Much of it is reassuring and I am excited for him and this new adventure. I look forward to being a 'Marine Mom' (I think). I know he can do this.

And on the tough days, when I'm missing him too much, I will take the words of the Marine Parent Survival Guide to heart:

"Besides the Corps itself and their country,
there's only one other thing Marines revere--their mamas."

I have a feeling I'm going to need to post it on the wall.

false alarm

Ryan's not sick. His overactive gag reflex was triggered by a coughing episode while eating carrots at lunch. Not pretty, but MUCH better than the flu.

oh no

Last week Ryan ran a fever. Nothing significant, and nothing like his "typical" fever of 104. But he still felt miserable for 36 hours. Once it broke, our chipper little Ryan returned. Apparently, though, it was temporary.

This morning was preschool. I was upstairs in my classroom with my little ones when the director came in and told me that Ryan needed me. It seems that something else is bugging him--he threw up in class! Ugh. SO not fun. Packed up a stinky Ryan and a ticked 0ff Logan and headed home, leaving another gal in charge in my room. Logan says he's fine; Ryan looks fine but acts funny, and we're hanging out here watching a state tournament basketball game from March 2005 on DVD. Ryan's cheering his heart out for Brent, and probably will be surprised at the end when "Brent's team wins again!" Hopefully it was an isolated incident, and no one else gets it.

In the meantime, I get to decide if my minor headache and upset stomach means something or is simply the power of suggestion. ...

a sure sign I'm gettting old

Yesterday I left a whole bunch of stuff on the porch to be picked up by Community Services for the Blind. It was my intention to go through more rooms and get more together, but my weekend was a bit busy (see previous post!). Anyway, Sunday afternoon this thought went through my head as I was going through my closet:

"I should do something with this. If I don't, my children are going to have to deal with it someday. Will they know what it is or why Mom kept it? And will they care???"

Hmmmm...inspiration to purge the junk! Now all I need is the time.

:(

Sad day at the volleyball court today. The Warriors played hard but lost their first match 3-1. Down but not out yet, they tried to recover enough for a second match against a top ranked team. This match was critical--the last state tournament berth was at stake. Winner take all. Game 1 wasn't pretty, and the other team won. The girls rallied back for game 2, pulling out a big victory. Game 3? Well, it had a disastrous start. With the Warriors down by a score of 15-1, things were looking pretty grim. All of a sudden the fire alarm rings! Surprised, I looked for my little guys, who had been sitting nearby with some dads they know. I wanted to make sure they weren't too frightened. I didn't like what I saw.....

My curious, inquisitive child, the one who can't keep his hands off anything, looked nervous. More than that, he looked guilty. When I asked him what happened, he burst into tears. With that, I knew. The fire alarm was ringing because the temptation to pull the lever was just too much for him. Torn between wanting to cry, wanting to laugh, and wanting the a hole to crawl into, I decided that I might as well laugh. Here is a child born half way around the world and he's just proven without a doubt he's related to one of his sisters. A brand new reader, one of the girls couldn't resist the temptation to do just what the little handle said: "Pull." So she did. Now I have TWO children who have pulled fire alarms at 5 years old. Hers was a bit less dramatic, only requiring the evacuation of the music room at school. His? Well, yes, we had to stop the match mid game. Evacuate 2 teams, all the officials, and all the fans. Then, we got to stand outside in the cold to wait for the fire truck to come and give us the 'all-clear.' Hopefully NOW he'll have a better understanding of why Mom and Dad insist that he keep his hands to himself, that he not touch everything all the time. Somehow I doubt it. We talked about it. This was a great object lesson, an opportunity to really SEE why we insist on it. I can still hope. In the meantime, we'll get a good laugh out of his inquisitiveness.

The Warriors never recovered after the fire alarm and ended up losing the second match 3-1. Heartbreaking? Yes. I wanted to see my Emily able to play at the Sundome. Her older siblings have had the chance. It was her turn. They played hard and have no need to hang their heads. For most of the girls on the team, this was their last chance. But the growth, the improvement of skills, and the final record of 16-4 are not things to be ashamed of. Even without a trip to state, it was an awesome season. So we take a deep breath, enjoy the day tomorrow, and watch Emily switch gears on Monday to her new adventure: cheer.

Sometime later I'll post pics of Logan at his sleep study. He's such a trooper! I cannot imagine sleeping all wired up like he was. But he did. Now we wait for 4 to 5 weeks to get the results. Hopefully we'll learn something helpful.

fortune cookie meets reality

"YOU WILL BE TRAVELING AND COMING INTO A FORTUNE"

That's what the fortune in the cookie Brent gave me said. We had a good time as we laughed and joked about where I would be going and what I would do with my newfound fortune. Little did I know that it was about to come true...

No, I didn't win the lottery and I'm not headed off on some fabulous vacation. Or even a semi-fabulous one. But Emily's volleyball team is poised to head to the state tournament! That means a trip across the mountains to Yakima. Been there plenty in March; never in November. Guess it's about time. A single victory tomorrow will seal the deal and I'll soon be traveling! As wonderful as a week on a sunny shore sounds, I"d much prefer a trip to watch my girl play volleyball. Maybe the fortune cookie was right. :)

And the fortune? Well, I feel like we did hit the jackpot. Or at least hold a golden ticket. Last week Logan had a preliminary visit to the sleep clinic at Children's. Craniofacial kids are highly likely to have sleep issues (something like 80% of them do!) and we have some concerns about Logan. He shows some symptoms of mixed apnea (an abnormal breathing pattern), and his daytime behavior reflects it. After talking with his ENT and his craniofacial pediatrician at clinics in September, they suggested that perhaps a sleep study would be a good thing, but that we could decide. Two weeks ago, after reviewing the symptoms again and again, I called. They saw him for his preliminary visit last week like I mentioned, and we scheduled the sleep study for March 30, 2010. Yes, that was the first available appointment! Ugh. Because he's a cranio kid, he was placed on the wait list. Apparently with high priority! Today my phone rang, and Logan will have his sleep study TONIGHT. That feels like a winning ticket to me. If we can get some answers to some of his ongoing issues, that would be incredible and better than anything money can buy.

What are his symptoms? Well, for Logan it wasn't so much the snoring (a typical symptom) as it was the daytime stuff: tired and irritable, mouth breathing, hyperactivity, distractability, and developmental issues. He does snore lightly, but the other big concern is his inability to breathe regularly and evenly. It's noticeable during the day but very clear at night. He simply stops breathing, then after a few seconds (that feel like a lifetime!) he gasps several times the resumes a 'normal' pattern for a bit.

Will the golden ticket lead to the jackpot? I hope so. It would be nice to have an answer for all the little stuff that plagues my guy. If I have to stay overnight in a sleep center for some answers, well, then, let's make it happen! I'm ready. What's everyone waiting for??



PS Can this girl jump or what? Such fun to watch... But hard to take pictures from the top row of the bleachers!

off to a great start

What a great week so far! Every day, every week a fresh start, just as God promises. :)

Logan started preschool on Monday. He was nervous in the beginning, so I stayed for about 35 minutes while he got acquainted with his teacher and classmates--5 others, all boys. Once circle time was done and it was time for the first activity, he was all smiles and grins, waving furiously so I would leave. Yesterday, he couldn't get out of the car fast enough to join Mrs. Nelson! And when I picked him up, she had such great things to say about him! She praised his quick pick-up of the classtime routine, never mind the fact that Tuesday is nothing like Monday. She was impressed by his leadership skills, gently reminding fellow students of the teacher's request to move to the yellow table, to use quiet feet, or to sit with quiet bodies. (Not surprising for the child labeled the "alpha male" in his orphanage!) She loved his enthusiasm and his correct, on target responses. She said he was a joy to have in class. And he LOVES it. My concerns are long gone, and I'm thrilled to see him doing so well. Praise God for His provision in the face of my fear!

Ryan yesterday kept asking me if it was time to get Logan yet. This is a huge thing! They fight like brothers, and Ryan's frustration with Logan and his irritating behavior has escalated a bit. To see him truly missing Logan is awesome and fun, and a great reminder that bringing Logan into our home in part so that Ryan had someone to grow up with is a good thing. They may not always get along but they ARE friends. For that we are grateful! Again, we see God's provision...

And yesterday was my birthday. We started celebrating Monday night with a family dinner at Olive Garden. I think it's the first time EVER that we've all been out to dinner as a family, all 6 children plus Jim and me. With Brent in Boise the last 2 years it just hasn't happened. But Jim went up to UW to get Hailey so she could join us, and we had a wonderful, fun dinner. Such a joy to see all those faces around the table! And so much fun to see others around us try and figure us out: "hmmm...the biggest one looks like both adults; some of those girls look like him and some like her, and those little ones keep calling them mom and dad...maybe they really are a family!" :) Yesterday was fun too--I got some "chick flicks" from my big guys, a new lens for my camera, a new sweatshirt, lots of little boy kisses, tons of birthday greetings from friends old and new, and a promise of a gift and get-together from a longtime friend I rarely see. THAT was a surprise, and a bonus. Now, to find the time to get together! I had a quiet peaceful morning at work yesterday (rare in my class, and unheard of this fall!) and even had the opportunity to chat at length with one of my moms to see how we can help her little one better while he's in class. All in all, I think it was my best birthday ever!!

Can't wait to see what the rest of the week brings. It's going to be fun!

really? REALLY??

It's been one of THOSE weekends. You know...the kind where nothing's wrong, but nothing's quite right either. Seems like that's how most of October was, and I must say that I'm a bit disappointed (frustrated? irritated?) to see November starting out this way. But that's life.

Em's volleyball team played fairly well on Saturday, but not well enough to win the district title. That means they play a string of loser-out games to earn a spot to the state tournament. Selfishly, I'd really like this settled as I have some things I need to do and some people to see on a weekend, but I have to HAVE a weekend. All our plans right now are tentative at best, and I hate that. Thursday night will bring more answers, and hopefully some Saturday volleyball! It's hard to see them lose, to know that they could have won, and to know that Em's desire to play at state is still so far out of reach. But that's life.

Brent moved back home last weekend. It's been quite the adventure having a 20 year old living here after 2+ years on his own. It's so nice to have him around and yet there's the constant struggle to recognize him as an adult when to me he's still my first baby. But I'm trying! Add to it his frustration with his car--not running at the moment, and every time he and Jim think they've got it figured out, something else turns up. Trying to coordinate "car schedules" is enough to drive a sane person mad I tell you! But that's life.

Logan starts preschool tomorrow. It's been a tough day for him, filled with disobedience, defiance, and tears. I know much of it's related to the nerves about school and I'm sympathetic. Yesterday I was struggling with feeling inadequate to help my own child; today I'm ready to send him to boarding school! Parenting Logan has been the hardest thing I've ever done and I just have to trust that someday it will be one of the most rewarding as well. Today, though, I just feel like a miserable failure. Someday we'll find the keys to unlock ALL the pieces for this bright sweet child, but in the meantime...... yeah. But that's life.

At this point, I'm ready to just curl up in bed and pull the covers over my head. Unfortunately, that's not an option. So I'll re-choose my attitude and be grateful for the things that are right, grateful for the things that are "learning opportunities," and grateful for those that refine my character. (Yep. Even those things. Ugh.) I'll start tomorrow with a renewed sense of hope. And an early morning run. Those always seem to help.

Hoping to ENJOY life this week,