ella's teacher

the oldest two are starting preschool/MDO in less than two weeks. hallelujah praise His name! the two and three-year-old teachers offer home visits before school starts to meet the kids. i really like her. she teaches music and has taught at the preschool for 23 years! she told us what ella's day will look like and it sounds great: playtime, art, music, story, snack! That's about all you can get done in 3 hours while herding 12-13 three year olds!

i have not heard from streed's teacher yet but he will go 5 days a week. i hope that goes well. he is already asking if ella will have more fun than him on the days she is home. it is only 3 hours a day. i think he is absolutely going to love it. he has no boy friends his age. and he loves to learn. did i mention i am looking forward to it?

back to blogger

just feeling like i should say something since it's been a while. i almost don't want to though because i feel like i will be a "debbie downer". we were all sick from friday till last night. a stomach bug successfully worked it's way through all of us. but, we are all back to normal and germ-free i think. so, i was really feeling the need to get out of the house and get some things done for ella's party which is in less than two weeks. ella's preschool teacher came by this morning for a home visit this so we were all up, dressed, and the house was clean. this was good time to get the heck outta here. chip left right before us. when he walked outside his cell phone broke in half, like mine did this summer. so, no phone for chip until we can get an old one from my dad. (btw: verizon is psycho on their phone prices! they have none under $260...you'd think they'd hold up). anyway. we load up to head to target. everybody in, seat belts fastened. van won't start. can't call chip. ahhh! i finally get up with his co-worker. chip comes home. neighbors handy-man tries to help. it was not a simple fix. chip takes the van to get fixed. we sit at the house. and here we sit.

ashford after project

We have been in Ashford with Chip's family and visiting supporters for a week. It has been a good time. The kids are all on antibiotics. Monday we spent $90 in copays to find out all three of them have ear infections. Then we spent $30 to get them all prescriptions. I can be thankful that we will get all of that back due to our flexible spending account. Gotta look at the bright side. Jadyn also left the beach project with an ear infection and bad cough. I think the other three kids there were going to the doctor too. Lovely. Not the first time we have left the beach project sick. Maybe it will be the last. We are heading to Mobile tomorrow for Staff Fellowship for a few days. Heading home Monday. We are all ready. Left home on July 24th. We are tired. Ready to settle down and rest.

Here are some pictures of our time here. Nana bought them some cute outfits at a ridiculous price. She wanted to have some pictures done of them. We could not get anyone at such late notice. So, it was up to me and my less than desirable camera. I got Nate two onesies at Carter's this summer. A supporter here owns a gift shop. She monogrammed them for me and I just love them. The other one just has a big "N". Isn't he precious! And yes both boys need haircuts.

beach project high chair

Since we were only going to be at the project for a few days we did not bring a high chair. Actually I was not originally coming. It was a last minute decision. Anyway, since we had no high chair we had to improvise.

Yes that is the pac-n-play. And yes it is pretty much in the bathroom. The only redeeming factor is that he is eating fruit.

Well, Papa is getting a horse. He has said it for a while but now it is true. His old boss has an old horse that he is giving him to eat the grass around the pond. We went and saw her the other day. The one Streed is petting is another one. Streed loved it. When he was feeding it he was cracking up. It was so funny. I don't know her name but I will call her Marey. Because she is an old MARE! Aren't I creative.

play date

Yesterday Clara Mae brought her 5 year old nephew over to play with Streed. It was a lot of fun. Streed wanted him to spend the night. He was ready to go see his mom but he called Clara Mae today to see if he could come over. They were so cute together.

new to me

Since we have moved here Streed has met some friends in the neighborhood. Some I care for, some I don't. One in particular wants to play all the time...at my house...of course he is not my fav. He is eight. He does and says lots that is not OK by me. For instance, opens my pantry and fridge without asking, uses eight year old language, argues with my kids and me, is loud etc. I have expressed to Chip that I hate to think about telling his parents that he cannot play with my kids anymore. Chip feels sorry for him because he seems to have little attention from his parents. He said lets just try and influence him as much as we can. I agreed.

Today he took it to another level. I do not want to post what happened but I am going to have to talk to his mom. I already talked to him but it is severe enough that I must talk to her. I dread this. I have lived here for 6 months. I have probably talked to her a dozen times.

Thankfully I got in the word this morning and was already praying for wisdom in parenting. Thankfully too I was in the kitchen and heard what was said. As much as I do not like to have him here, if they are going to play, they will have to play at my house. That is the only way I can supervise.

The Result

After not hearing from the doctor's office I finally sent an email. Below is her response. Thank you all for your prayers. I have been quite peaceful.


Shelley,

The FNA was consistent with a cyst. There were no abnormal cells present.

thyroid update

I had my biopsy Wednesday. It was the most nerve-racking experience. The procedure was painless. It was the idea that I was having a procedure done to determine if I have cancer or not. I love the doctor and PA though. They are great. They were able to drain the nodule. They said the test would probably not find any cells. It just looks like a cyst. They scheduled me an appt for 9 months from now. They put me on a synthetic thyroid pill call synthroid, vitamin D and B-12 because my blood work revealed I was low in both of those vitamins.

I left and it was flat. That night at the dinner table I felt my throat and the nodule was back! I was so mad. I called the next morning and they got me right in. They could not drain it this time and said it was probably a fresh blood clot. He told me to use warm compresses for a few days to see if it will go down. And that if it keeps filling up then we would have to remove it. He said he doesn't want to yet because it will leave a scar. To me that is not a big deal at all. That is the least of my concerns. So, the journey continues. Hopefully I will know the results by Monday.

Third Times a Charm

We finally got Nate's one year pictures made. I was trying to think why I waited so late to do it. Then I remembered that when he turned one I was barely keeping my head above water. We had just moved and I was ultra overwhelmed and underwhelmed. It was a bad time. Since then I have tried two other times but he just would not cooperate. But, it was worth the wait because look at this cutie. We went to Portrait Innovations. I will definitely go back. It was a really good experience.

PS- I have enough pictures for anyone and everyone! So, let me know which one you want.

PPS- Streed and Ella both took their one year pictures in a wicker chair wearing a monogrammed outfit. Nate is wearing a purple and gold ensemble because we moved here the month of his birthday.