Catching up... January 31 - March 11

Pumpkin Pie

January 31, 2012

             Ceithlinn’s favorite pie is pumpkin. We bought everything to make a pie at Christmas, but never got around to it. So, I decided that before I went to class on Tuesday, January 31 I would make pie for dessert. The kids wanted to help. I LOVE that my kids like helping out in the kitchen… yes, they even do dishes. Ceithlinn helped roll out the crust and put it in the pie pan. Both kids got in on the “forking” of the crust. As you can tell by the photo of both of them busy, “forking” is serious work. They were kind enough to oblige me when I asked to take a photo. The pie was delicious!

Matthew’s 1st  Grade Concert

February 7, 2012

            Matthew’s school concert was on February 7th. The theme was “Goldilocks and the Three Bears.” It went through the whole story. The bears left their house, Goldi came a-knocking and then decided to snoop about (the kids sang about how it isn’t good to snoop), she at the pudding (not porridge), sat in the chair and slept in the beds. The concert was in total about 20 minutes. Just the right length of time. Each child had bear “ear” and a “nose” as they sang. Matthew was so excited he got to keep these and bring them home.

           Kind of a personal side note... imagine that something personal on a blog… When we attend the kids various concerts or performances I always give a big holler out. It is distinct. The kids will ask if I am going to holler for them usually on the ride to the venue. I tell them to listen for it. After the first number I holler long and loud. The kids always find me, give me a thumbs up or a big smile. I am glad they know I am there supporting them. It is important to me that they know that.  This blurry photo of Matthew smiling right at me was right after he found me in the audience. His smile says it all, doesn’t it? He was so proud to perform and grateful that we were there for him. I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. In fact, I missed class that night to support my boy. Wonderfully, my professor understood my priorities and didn’t push me to come.

Valentine’s Day 

February 14, 2012

           BLE had a Valentine card competition. Ceithlinn decided she want to make something to enter. She found this idea in a craft book she got for Christmas. She did a great job. She won first place for the fourth grade. Her friend Jaelyn won second. She was awarded a “Best in Show” certificate and a brand new art kit! She puts the art kit to good use. I am not sure what she did with the certificate.

          This year the kids really got into handing out Valentine’s. They even made some for each other and us. It was so fun to see how happy and excited they were to be giving. Really wonderful. We had purchased a very small box of chocolates for everyone that works with Matthew, there are about a dozen teachers, Para educators and specialist. Mrs. Turk, the school counselor was gone when we stopped by. Matthew asked me to write a note for her and leave it with the chocolates. He dictated as I wrote something about how much he loved her and thought she was nice. A couple of weeks later I was speaking with Mrs. Turk and she said that his note had really made her day when she got back into the office a week later. She asked if he had really said what was on the note. I told her yes. She was so appreciative and said they don’t get people that often express their gratitude for what they do. That made me sad. We are very blessed to have some WONDERFUL people working with our kids. (see my gratitude blog, day 10 for further on this www.jenis365ofgratitude.blogpot.com)

IXL Greatness

February 24, 2012

             BLE has a wonderful program they started this year to help their students become leaders. As the kids accomplish goals, help out around the school or are good school citizen they can earn tokens to be put on a necklace. This necklace is called their Leader Lanyard. Each Friday students throughout the school get to wear their necklaces to show their leadership. Students really enjoy earning tokens for their lanyard. They really get a sense of accomplishment and pride.

           As part of the school curriculum there are two computer programs the kids are encouraged to use at home. One is a reading program called Raz-Kids. The kids hear a story, then read the same story out loud and then answer comprehension question about what they have heard and read. It has been neat to see their reading skills develop with this program as we do it together. The other program is IXL math. This one has over a hundred different math skills available by grade level. The kids are encouraged to work on this at home to improve their math skills. IXL takes a while longer for the kids to do.

           Both Ceithlinn and Matthew earned IXL tokens for their lanyards on February 24th. Matthew earned two tokens for all the work he has been doing at home to improve his math skills. He was one of several 1st graders called up during the school’s morning message (announcements at the beginning of the day in the gym). Ceithlinn earned a token for being the only 4th grader to attempt and complete four difficult exercises. They were teaching Algebra. She spent hours with her dad and I doing these problems because she really wanted to earn her token. (Below are pictures of Ceithlinn and her Leader Lanyard.)

Sea Turtle 2

February 25, 2012

             This next bit goes back MONTHS, and begins with nothing about a turtle. In June of 2011 we took a trip to Las Vegas to celebrate my grandpa’s 85th birthday. On August 17, 2011 my grandpa passed away at his home with his sweetheart by his side. That evening my younger brother, Richard called to let me know of Grandpa’s passing. When I told Ceithlinn she immediately started to bawl and was very upset. Matthew asked what was wrong with her. I told him that she was sad because Great-Grandpa had died. He thought about this very briefly and then said, “That’s okay. I have another one called Grandpa Dave.” He then walked off and began playing.

           Fast forward to Labor Day. We went to a local furniture store, The Old Cannery for free hot dogs, drinks and to have a little dream shopping. While we were there we saw that a clown was making balloon animals. We stood in line for an hour or more waiting to get a turtle made for Matthew and a lady bug for Ceithlinn. Oh, the joy when the turtle and lady bug were presented!! The turtle was given the name of Sea Turtle. (Matthew is very practical when naming things… his favorite stuffed animal, a tiger, is called… Tiger) I don’t remember the name of the lady bug. (Sorry Ceithlinn) On the ride home one of the front legs of Sea Turtle burst, so did Matthew. He insisted that we return and get another one. That wasn’t possible because we were at the end of the line and the clown was gone. For the next 20 minutes there was no consoling Matthew. Huge tears ran down his face. He kept looking at me and asking me to fix it or make him a new one. I told him I didn’t know how. At one point he said, “I wish you had gone to clown school instead of college!” I was very near tears myself and agreed that it may have been a good thing if I had gone to clown school then I could fix this turtle. After many tears shed on Matthew’s part and prayer on mine, Josh came up with the perfect solution. He moved the remaining leg more to the center of the turtle and drew a squiggly line on it so the turtle looked like he was clasping his hands. Oh, wow, the joy on Matthew face!! Josh won Father of the Year in that moment.

          Fast forward to January. Our orthodontist was throwing a patient appreciate party at the local skating rink. We were told a clown would be there. Matthew began asking if I remembered Sea Turtle and could we get him another one because he was still sad that the turtle’s leg had popped. I said sure. Well, the day of the party Ceithlinn got sick and we weren’t able to go. I promised Matthew that we would keep an ear out for other events this clown might be at.

        Now, fast forward once again to February 25. It is the ward (church) chili cook-off. Guess who will be there?! You’re right… the clown!!! Oh, elation!! We stood in line for about half an hour for Sea Turtle 2. Matthew was thrilled until the shell began to shrink. There was a microscopic hole. Luckily, the clown hadn’t left and we were able to get it fixed. This took standing in line for another 20 minutes or so and reassuring Matthew that we wouldn’t leave until the turtle was fixed.

About a week later the turtle was getting deflated and sad looking. Matthew asked if we could take a picture before he popped it. He said he was going to keep the balloon turtle shell so he could remember his turtle. I suggested we take a picture because the shell would continue to deflate. He thought that was a good idea. So, now you get the picture that will forever immortalize this TALE OF A TURTLE.

        Every time I think of this I find it interesting that he could be so upset about a balloon turtle and so nonchalant about a grandparent dying. It never ceases to amaze me how his brain works.

The balloon turtle shell

This Week in Our Lives...Ok, it's 2 weeks - Jan. 23rd - Feb 5th

On January 24 Ceithlinn and her friend, Elaina Robison, performed in Bonney Lake Elementary's Extravaganza! This was Ceithlinn second year participating. The girls sang "Somebody Come and Play" from Sesame Street, and were accompanied by Josh. At the tryouts when the girls were asked why the chose this song they both answered, "We thought it was age-appropriate." The girls did a great job! I will see if I can get the video to upload. If not, check on Facebook, hopefully I can get it there. I wasn't able to get photos and the video is too fuzzy to make good pictures.

As an incentive for the family to finish our chores each week we have a reward. To earn the reward chores are to be completed by Saturday afternoon. The first three Saturdays of the month our reward is something easily done at home such as a movie night with popcorn, playing board or card games, playing the Nintendo, making cookies, etc. If we earn the weekly reward three weeks in a row, then we earn the "Big Reward." This is something that we usually spend money on and get out of the house either as a family or with friends. Rewards have been bowling with friends, going to the $2 movie and buying concession, etc. Our "Big Reward" on January 28th was to go to the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle. It is absolutely AMAZING how much they packed into such a small space in the middle of the city. We asked the kids what animals they wanted to see. This was our second time every going to WPZ. Matthew said he wanted to see the Komodo dragons and Ceithlinn said she wanted to see the gorillas.

We arrived at the zoo at the South Entrance. The first thing that we saw was a replica of an African village. Seeing the huts made me even more grateful for how truly blessed we are here with our homes, indoor plumbing and electricity. The kids climbed in a little hut, we think it may have been like a chicken coup or something. Ceithlinn enjoyed playing the big drums and dancing. We then went on to see hippos, giraffes, lions and other Savanna animals.

 

At lunch time we stopped the little picnic area and ate our sandwiches. When we go to the zoo the kids like to use our animal cookie cutters to make fun peanut butter and honey sandwiches. This was something I started when Ceithlinn was preschool aged. It became an unintentional, fun tradition. Those are some of the best traditions, don't you think? Anyway, this time we brought a flamingo, a sheep, a squirrel and a hippo. The other three had been pretty well devoured by the time I got my flamingo out.

After lunch we were on our way to the Komodo dragons when Matthew spontaneously put his arm around Ceithlinn. I missed the original shot, and he was gracious enough to do it again for the photo. I just love when they spontaneously hug, kiss or say I love you. It warms this mama heart of mine. I have said it before, I will say it again. We are truly blessed to have the kids we do.

On to the Komodos... one was sleeping with its back to us and the other was sitting up next to a window with lots of condensation. Those picture didn't turn out so well. You get to see Matthew by the sign, doesn't he look so happy, and the kids playing on the Komodo dragon statue. They tried sliding down the tongue. It didn't work so well, but they had fun trying anyway.

While at the zoo we had the fantastic opportunity to feed the penguins and the budgie birds. The penguins were fun because they would sort of jump to get the fish. This was a first for all of us. The angle of that I had to shoot from wasn't great so you get to see Matthew's leg, Ceithlinn picking up the little fish to feed the penguins... very proud of her for that. She doesn't usually like trying new things... and Josh feeding the penguins. The budgies had just been startled before we came in so it took patience to get them to eat the seed sticks. It helped that Josh is tall and could coax them down. This was a first for Ceithlinn and Josh, Matthew fed the budgies at his field trip last year to the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium in Tacoma. I forgot warn Ceithlinn that the budgie would land on the stick to eat. The first budgie that landed knocked the stick out of her hand and was a bit startled. Ceithlinn then held the stick with both hands and really enjoyed the experience.

Eventually we made it to the gorillas. The littlest one was quite the entertainer. He licked the glass and picked on his sibling. He would bang on his chest and dart after his sibling. They would wrestle and then move away from each other. It was interesting to watch the mother gorilla. She reminded me of myself when my kids are rough-housing. She pretty much ignored them until it got started to get to rough. At one point she shooed the bigger gorilla away. Of course, the younger one egged him on again. So, mom picked at her berries and would occasionally look up to make sure things didn't get out of hand. It was fun to watch and laugh. The kids still talk about that gorilla.

We definitely want to go back for another big reward, perhaps when it is a bit warmer. Below are pictures of us with the kids on a couple of statues they liked... see I really was there.

Those are the big highlights from the last couple of weeks. I continue to go to college. I am in my second to last quarter at Pierce College. We are all looking forward to graduation in June. Josh continues to build his private practice. The kids are doing well in school. Matthew goes to Occupational Therapy (OT) at Good Samaritan Children's Therapy Unit (CTU) on Friday and just start Speech Therapy. Both of these focus on behavior modification and social skills. He really enjoys going. Oh, on that note... Matthew earned therapy pool time.

In November or December Matthew had a couple weeks at OT that ended with a massive fit, meltdown. After the second one his therapist, Brandi, saw that he really like looking at the therapy pool through the big window. To get to the pool you have to go through a couple of access only doors. She came up with a fantastic reward. If Matthew could come to therapy and listen well, follow direction and not have a fit for three weeks he would get pool time on the fourth week. At the end of each week he could put a sticker on a chart so he could see his progress. It worked pretty well. The first two weeks went off without a hitch, week three... not so great, massive meltdown at the end, but he was great the fourth week and earned that third sticker. Well, we ended up waiting a few more weeks before we could get into the pool. The first Friday Brandi was out of town, the next Friday we had our ice storm and CTU was closed, the third Friday Matthew and Ceithlinn got in their suits and Brandi came in and said that something really stinky was coming through the vent system in the pool room and she was sick to her stomach and had a headache. I thought, are you kidding me?! We were able to explain to Matthew our safety concerns (health concerns), Brandi let him smell it for a moment and he was fine with waiting another week. So proud of him for making that adjustment. I thought there might be some sort of fit, but he pleasantly surprised us. Both Brandi and I thanked him and complimented him a few times on making the shift in plans. Anyway, Matthew was able to get into the pool and Friday, the 3rd, and had a ball! He is really cute when he goes under the water. He will plug his ears with thumbs and his nose with his fingers to prevent water from going in either. It makes me laugh. This is the resolute of having ear tubes until he was 4 I think.

One last thing... Matthew woke up on Friday and came in with a big smile and said, "Mom, I had a good dream last night." "You did? Wanna tell me about it?" Now with an even bigger grin, "I got to ride a nice T-Rex!" "Wow, were you way up high on this T-Rex?" "No, it was a little one. It brought me to meat!" Then he looked off with a dreamy smile. He must have been remembering what that dream was all about. Later I found out the T-Rex was orange. Man, I love this kid!

Matthew's Take on the Power Outage

I found this  on a piece of paper in Matthew's backpack. I think it was a writing exercise for school. He says,

• “On the first day we played in the soft snow.”
• “We had a snowball fight.”
• “On the first day we lit one hundred thousand candles.” (I think it was 3, but 3 isn’t as impressive as 100,000 is it?)
• “We told knock-knock jokes.” (For about an hour one night – most of Matthew’s went something like this:

     “Knock, knock.”
     “Who’s there?”
     “Giant, giant, ginormous, ginormous, ginormous, ginormous pineapple.”
     “Giant, giant, ginormous, ginormous, ginormous, ginormous pineapple who?”
     “I will huff, and I will puff and squash your house down!” (Now you must laugh hysterically…   :o) We love this boy!)

What's New With You -- January 1 - 22, 2012

The thought on the 8^th was that each Sunday I would update our blog with the week’s happenings. That way I don’t fall too far behind. The plan is a good one as long as something big doesn’t come up, like going out of town. This might be a little long, but hopefully you will enjoy it anyway.

Piano Lessons

January 3, 2012

Ceithlinn asked Josh if he would please teach her to play the piano. He explained that she would need to practice every day for 15 minutes (this time will get longer as she gets more experienced). She said she could commit to that. So, the first lesson taught about how the piano works, counting, proper posture and technique, and her first song to practice.

Ceithlinn has been diligent in practicing and learning what she can. I haven’t had to remind her to practice. In fact, on Friday she will come straight home from school and practice so she can have it done before we take Matthew to Occupational Therapy. She was rewarded today, January 22, 2012, for her diligence when she was able to play her first duet with Josh and get her theory book. She was thrilled about the duet, not so much about a 2nd book. She is doing really well, as we knew she would. I will try to put the video of the duet on the blog. We’ll see how that goes.

Winter Quarter Begins

January 9, 2012

I am enrolled at Pierce College, earning my Associate in Business degree. I will graduate in June. We are very excited for this. With this degree I plan on starting my own dance studio, “Celtic Flare.” I really miss Irish and Scottish dancing. Pierce County doesn’t have anything to offer really in the way of Celtic dancing. I decided it was time that was changed. I am excited and nervous about the possibilities that lie before us. Luckily, I have a very supportive husband and children. This will be GREAT!

This quarter I have a morning class at the college daily, an evening class twice a week and an online class. This means that I spend more time commuting than before because we have one car. So, each morning after the kids are off to school I bring Josh to work, then I get to school myself. Then we pick him up at the end of his work day.

Grandma Bailey Passed Away

January 11, 2012

The evening of the 11th I felt very strongly that we needed to speak with Josh’s family. I called him to let him know we were on our way. I asked if he would please call his dad. When Josh got in the car he looked tired. I figured it was because it had been an 11 hour work day. He said that he spoke with his dad. Dad said he was about to call us to let us know that his mom, Dorene Lewis Bailey, had passed away that morning.

We are very blessed to know Grandma Bailey. She is full of love and laughter. She has a deep love for our Savior, Jesus Christ and a strong testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ. She loves her family more than I think we truly understand. She and Grandpa Ray are a shining example of what becoming one in marriage is about. They were married for almost 32 years. They loved each other deeply. They still flirted, hugged and kissed unashamed in front of us. It really was wonderful. Grandma has a great sense of humor and can be quite mischievous. She will be missed. We are grateful for the knowledge we have that we will see her again.
To learn more about Grandma Bailey see her obituary:
http://www.manningwheatleyfuneralchapel.com/fh/obituaries/obituary.cfm?o_id=1365033&fh_id=13370

Ceithlinn’s Viking SAIL Award

January 13, 2012

Each day at Bonney Lake Elementary the students and teachers meet in the gym for morning announcements and the Pledge. Other awards and recognitions are given to the students at this time as well. They have “I Can” awards which are given out daily to students that have done something positive around the school. The students are given a slip of paper with their names on it and what they did such as: “I picked up the balls at recess” or “I helped a friend to the nurse’s office.” These slip are put in a bucket or something and drawn at random. When a student is called up they then get to pick a prize from the principal’s wagon of goodies.

Once a quarter they have Viking SAIL awards. These are medals that say “Leadership” on them.

SAIL stands for:

        Safe with bodies and feelings

        Achieving excellence

        Include everyone

        Leadership - making responsible choice

Each student is called to the front of the assembly and the principal reads why the teacher has nominated this student for a Vikings SAIL award. Ceithlinn was given one of these awards. I wasn’t able to make the assembly due to my school schedule, but Josh was able to go and recorded it for me. Following is a transcript of what happened: Mrs. Miller, the principal says, “From Mrs. Klockeman’s classroom we have Ceithlinn. Ceithlinn, you are being honored for being Safe with bodies and feelings. Mrs. Klockeman says that ‘Ceithlinn is a very kind student. She always has a smile on her face. Ceithlinn is friendly, polite and a great friend to others. Ceithlinn goes out of her way to help everyone in the classroom. If I ever need a volunteer to help, it’s Ceithlinn, even if it means giving up some recess time.’ Ceithlinn, thank you for being that kind of a leader in our school.”

We were so completely thrilled for her. She really is an amazing young lady! We are so very blessed to have her as our daughter.

Our Trip to Idaho

January 14-18, 2012

We drove into Pocatello, Idaho on Saturday, 14^th, for funeral services on Monday, 16^th. We were glad we left when we did. By the time we checked into our hotel that night friends were reporting that it was snowing in Washington. The mountain passes would have been hard to get through the follow day.

We were able to spend some fun time with Josh’s family on Sunday, 15^th swimming, talking and eating… not all at the same time, of course. I forgot to use my camera so don’t have visual evidence of this. Hopefully, Jared will send us copies of some of the photos he took of 5 of the 6 grandkids swimming in the hotel pool. Baby Emily enjoyed being held by her mom or grandma. Swimming was especially fun for Ceithlinn because she figured out how to swim on her own. By the time we were coming home she became quite the mermaid swimming from one side of the pool to other and swimming under water. She also figured out how to float. It was great to see Josh teach her and for her figure it out. She has such a great sense of accomplishment.

The 16^th, we went into Lava Hot Springs for funeral services. It was nice to see the cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents again. It was good to hear how loved Grandma is and what a wonderful legacy she left. Before we left for the cemetery we took a moment to get a picture of Josh’s dad by the plaque that says he earned his Eagle Scout rank back in 1967. That was pretty neat. Grandma was interred in Dingle, ID, which was very COLD and WINDY. Josh was able to serve as a pall bearer. That was an honor for him to be able to serve his grandparents that way, and represent the David Gates Clan.

After the cemetery we took the opportunity to visit with Grandpa Gates and Dorothy in Lava. It was good to see them. I think the last time we visited Ceithlinn was a baby. It was good to catch up. Matthew fell in love with all their cats, especially Alaska and Little Bit, who isn’t little at all.

With Alaska



With Little Bit



With Great Grandpa Gates and Dorothy

SISTERS!!!

The 17^th, Shera and Megan made the 3-hour drive from Lehi, UT to eat breakfast and spend a little time with us. At breakfast Matthew created a new invention called, “Orange-Apple Juice.” The recipe is simple. Pour hotel orange juice into a cup until you think you have enough. Then pour hotel apple juice in that same cup. Grab a straw to stir. Once stirred put on a lid and enjoy. Matthew was so very pleased with his “new invention.” The fantastic employee overseeing breakfast even let Matthew make her some after he explained how it was made step-by-step. You should try it, it isn’t too bad especially if you have more orange than apple juice.

After visit and breakfast we began our journey back to Washington. The goal was to make the drive in one day. It only took us 12 ½ hours to get to Pocatello. Well, Mother Nature had other plans. We ended up getting a hotel in LeGrande, Oregon about half way home because the road were getting icy, it was getting darker and snow was really starting to fall. We are glad we choose to stop over because the next day we ended up putting chains on the tires and driving from LeGrande to Pendleton very slowly. We were grateful we followed the prompting to purchase chains and bring extra food, water and clothes. After Pendleton things cleared up, and we proceeded through Oregon. There is a point the journey were you have a choice to either follow 84 into Washington over Snoqualmie Pass and Tiger Summit or stay on 82 and go into Portland. We decided to try 84 because the other way adds a few hours. We got about 30 miles from the interchange and decided it would be better to turn around and take 82. We would have used our chains for the majority of the trip if we continued. Chains are not meant to be used for more than 30 miles, I think it is. So, we turned around, went back to Oregon and had wet roads until we hit Olympia, Washington where it was frozen slush on the roads. This made for a nice washboard effect. Needless to say, we were happy when we pulled in. Total time driving home from Pocatello: 23 ½ hours.

Our car in the morning in Le Grande



Josh getting chains on the car



Matthew's foot print. The snow was up to the middle of his calf.

Washington Winter Storm

January 19-20, 2012

The fun continued the next day when we woke up to no power and lots of iced over slush to shovel out of the driveway and walkways so our tenants would be safe. We had a nice ice storm that took out power, trees and carports (luckily, not on our property). The kids were a great help in our “plowing” efforts as they call it. They are good “plowers”. When all was said and done we were without power for about 40 hours, but managed to make it through pretty okay. We are grateful we have food storage and warm blanket.

Matthew getting ready to "plow"

 

Josh heading to the snow





Matthew's ice hat



Ceithlinn "plowing"

Frozen Rhododendron



Ice on garbage fence

I think that about brings you up to speed with what is going on in our lives. Next week the post won’t be so long. I think I may just do a bullet point of what happened in our lives in 2011 just so I know it is recorded. Until next week….

(Hopefully, I can better figure out how to attach the photos)





A New Year, A Renewed Commitment

I missed a whole year on our blog and have lost some really fantastic family adventures. I am not going to update you on everything. That would make this a novel of unusal size that no one would read. Let me just say, I have a new plan for keeping up this blog. I have set time aside in the week and on Sunday to update it. I will be better because the few of you that read this deserve to know what is happening with our family... and, well, let's face it, this is a great way to keep a personal family history. Here's to a new year, a renewed beginning and better blogging.